Affordable, Sustainable and Decent Housing for All
Introduction
Affordable, Sustainable and Decent Housing for All is a fundamental human right that must be guaranteed across the European Union and beyond. This principle asserts that every individual deserves a home that is economically accessible, environmentally responsible, and socially dignified.
Yet, across Europe, a deep housing crisis is unfolding, where speculative markets, underinvestment in social housing, and deregulation have pushed homes beyond the reach of ordinary citizens.
Families spend nearly half their income on shelter, young people are locked out of ownership, and over 1.3 million individuals face homelessness on any given night. Achieving Affordable, Sustainable and Decent Housing for All requires urgent political action, innovative policy frameworks, and a reorientation of housing from commodity to community asset.
Introduction: Housing is a human right
The vision of Affordable, Sustainable and Decent Housing for All is rooted in the recognition that housing is not a privilege but a universal entitlement. Since 2010, EU house prices have risen by 55.4% and rents by 26.7%, vastly outpacing wage growth. Energy poverty affects 47.5 million Europeans, forcing impossible choices between heating and eating. Inadequate housing contributes to over 100,000 deaths annually. These statistics underscore the urgency of delivering Affordable, Sustainable and Decent Housing for All. Without intervention, inequality will deepen and climate goals will remain out of reach. The pursuit of Affordable, Sustainable and Decent Housing for All must center human well-being, environmental stewardship, and economic accessibility.
A European Affordable Housing Plan to build a strong foundation for everyone
The Greens/EFA Group calls for an Affordable Housing Plan that recognises the scale of this crisis. It must ensure that every home in Europe is affordable, sustainable and decent. We urgently need to stop treating housing like a money-making business. We need a boost in affordable and social housing to end homelessness by 2030 and to make sure everyone has a healthy place to call home. This comprehensive plan is essential for achieving Affordable, Sustainable and Decent Housing for All across all member states.
Make houses for people, not profit
Homes are not poker chips to be traded by hedge funds. Yet across Europe, banks, private equity firms and large investors are buying up entire apartment blocks, turning people's homes into financial assets. This financialization has pushed rents and house prices far beyond what ordinary people can pay.
To dismantle speculation, the European Affordable Housing plan must guarantee affordability by ensuring no household spends more than 30% of its income on housing.
Enforcing rent control mechanisms in high-pressure areas can stop speculative price hikes. Boosting public investment through an EU Housing Fund and exempting spending on Affordable, Sustainable and Decent Housing for All from debt rules under the Stability and Growth Pact is critical.
Taxing vacant homes and banning investor-owned tourist rentals can curb speculation. These measures are vital for delivering Affordable, Sustainable and Decent Housing for All.
End homelessness by 2030: no-one should be sleeping rough
We're living in the most prosperous period in history, yet homelessness in Europe has reached record levels. The lack of affordable homes, combined with labour precariousness and insufficient social protection, is pushing more people into homelessness. To end homelessness by 2030, the plan must ensure adoption of a "Housing First" approach that guarantees permanent housing to those in need.
Creating an enforceable right to housing ensures people can claim adequate shelter through accessible legal mechanisms. The EU must forbid forced evictions without offering rehousing and prohibit energy disconnections for vulnerable consumers. These steps are vital milestones toward Affordable, Sustainable and Decent Housing for All.
Expand social housing for inclusive and thriving neighbourhoods
For decades, European governments have underinvested in social housing. Public housing stock has been sold off, neglected or left underfunded, leaving millions without access to affordable, sustainable and decent homes.
To expand social housing, the plan must prioritize social housing projects in public investments, with urban planning aimed at inclusive neighborhoods. State aid rules must be revised to broaden the definition of "social housing", referring to Affordable, Sustainable and Decent Housing for All, aimed primarily at marginalized communities and low-to middle-income households.
Creating a "European Housing Access Guarantee Fund" can protect tenants from unjustified barriers. Recognising aporophobia and establishing rights-based frameworks ensures truly equitable Affordable, Sustainable and Decent Housing for All.
Home should be a haven, not a health hazard
A home should be the safest place in our lives, but for too many Europeans, it is a daily threat. Across the EU, millions are living in moldy, damp, unsafe, or overcrowded homes. The WHO estimates that over 100,000 deaths every year in Europe are linked to poor-quality housing.
To enforce the right to safe housing, the plan must launch a comprehensive European "Healthy Homes Strategy". Adopting an EU-wide definition of "substandard and unhealthy housing" and setting habitability standards ensures every home meets minimum requirements for safety, ventilation, and freedom from toxic substances. Making health inspections mandatory for housing occupied by at-risk groups operationalises the health dimension of Affordable, Sustainable and Decent Housing for All.
No-one should choose between heating and eating
Energy costs make up a significant share of household expenditure and prices are skyrocketing. 75% of EU buildings are energy inefficient, with vulnerable families often facing ridiculous bills from living in the least insulated homes.
To fight energy poverty, the plan must empower citizens to produce renewable energy. The Clean Energy Package and Fit for 55 provisions must ensure citizens' rights to produce, own and share renewable energy, including in social housing.
Prioritizing vulnerable households for renovation funding and expanding the Social Climate Fund can tackle energy poverty. Renovations must never negatively affect tenants or lead to evictions.
These measures ensure Affordable, Sustainable and Decent Housing for All delivers both immediate safety and long-term climate resilience.
Homes for everyone mean equal access for everyone
Everyone deserves a safe and affordable home, but for too many people, it is where inequalities hit hardest. Young people, seniors, people with disabilities, lone-parent households, Roma communities, migrants, women, and LGBTIQ+ individuals face disproportionate barriers.
To ensure accessible and non-discriminatory housing models, the plan must reinforce tenant rights and protections. Adopting a holistic and intersectional perspective addresses all layers of discrimination.
Offering youth better mortgage access and ensuring full implementation of the UN CRPD accessibility standards are essential. These actions guarantee that Affordable, Sustainable and Decent Housing for All delivers dignity for all.
Unlock the power of local and regional authorities
Local and regional authorities are best placed to ensure that the European Affordable Housing Plan fits people's needs, adapted to their territorial realities. To support them, the plan must provide direct EU funding to local authorities.
Cohesion policy must become a real engine for Affordable, Sustainable and Decent Housing for All in all EU regions. The EU must also recognize the specific needs of islands and outermost regions via a special Statute of the EU Islands coupled with an Island Pact.
This targeted approach guarantees that Affordable, Sustainable and Decent Housing for All reaches every corner of Europe.
The path to Affordable, Sustainable and Decent Housing for All demands bold, coordinated action. Ending homelessness, creating enforceable rights, boosting public investment, and curbing speculation are non-negotiable milestones.
Every policy decision must be evaluated against its contribution to Affordable, Sustainable and Decent Housing for All. The legacy of this generation will be defined by whether we prioritize people over profit and make Affordable, Sustainable and Decent Housing for All a tangible reality for everyone, everywhere.
The time to act is now, for the sake of dignity, justice, and a livable planet. Affordable, Sustainable and Decent Housing for All is within reach if we choose to build it together.