📚 Knowledge Base

Topic 1: Affordable Housing in European cities

Europe is in the midst of a severe housing crunch that cuts across borders, and cultures. The EU-27 now faces an estimated shortage of 9.6 million dwellings – 3.5% of the existing stock – as new building permits fall while demand surges (CBRE, 2025). Rents and prices have risen by 48% since 2015 and already consume 40% + of disposable income for 10.6% of EU households in cities (European Parliament, 2024). The strain is even sharper in Greece, where 28.5% of people spend 40% or more of income on housing, the highest rate in Europe (Eurostat, 2024a).

Housing pressures intersect strongly with migration and minority rights. One in three non-EU residents live in overcrowded homes, versus 13.7% of nationals; in Greece the overcrowding rate for non-EU citizens reaches 47.5% (Eurostat, 2024b). Roma communities report housing deprivation levels of 52%, more than triple the general population (FRA, 2021). These inequalities cut across languages, cultures and legal statuses, making housing an urgent multilingual and multicultural concern.

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Topic 2: Social Housing in Europe

Social housing refers to housing that is owned, financed, or regulated by public or non-profit entities and provided at below-market rents to households that cannot afford market alternatives. It can include:

• Public or municipal housing

• Housing associations or cooperatives

• Subsidized rental housing

• Housing with eligibility criteria for lower-income, vulnerable or specific social groups

Its purpose is to ensure access to decent, affordable housing, reduce housing insecurity, and promote social inclusion

Historical Background

After World War II, European countries saw large-scale investment in social housing as part of post-war reconstruction and welfare expansion. Mass programs built public housing, especially in northern and western Europe, to accommodate rapidly urbanizing populations and replace damaged housing stock. These early programs often had broad eligibility and aimed to provide decent living conditions for many, not only the poorest.

Over time, social housing became more residualized: in many countries it came to be seen primarily as housing for low-income or vulnerable sectors rather than as a mainstream housing tenure. In some regions (especially in Southern and Eastern Europe) social housing stock was privatized or reduced.

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Topic 3: Rent prices and market control

1. Insufficient Supply
   Many EU countries have seen declining investment in building new social housing. Regulatory barriers, high land costs, construction costs, and lack of political will are part of the problem. Publications Office of the EU+1

2. Ageing and Poor Quality Stock
   Much existing social housing was built decades ago. Maintaining, renovating, and upgrading these buildings (especially for energy efficiency, accessibility, safety) is costly and often underfunded. Eurofound+

3. Affordability vs. Eligibility
   Even where social housing exists, eligibility criteria can exclude many households. In some places, rents—even in regulated or subsidized housing—may still be burdensome relative to income. Publications Office of the EU+1

4. Residualization & Stigma
   Social housing is increasingly seen as a “last resort” rather than a tenure for broad segments of society. This can lead to social stigma and spatial concentration of deprivation. Publications Office of the EU+1

5. Policy and Funding Gaps
   There is a gap between what is needed and what is funded. Many Member States under-invest in social housing and in maintaining their existing stock. Also, policies are often reactive (crisis driven) rather than long-term in strategy. Publications Office of the EU+2Publications Office of the EU+2

6. Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Pressures
   Pressure from EU climate goals, energy costs, and environmental regulation mean that social housing needs to be retrofitted or rebuilt to meet energy performance, sustainability, and climate resilience standards. But these upgrades require upfront investment. arxiv.org

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