Support localized, long-term housing strategies and coordinated social services

What is the problem?

Housing needs vary greatly between regions, and national policies often fail to address local realities. Vulnerable groups - such as single mothers, families, or migrants - are often identified too late due to poor coordination between social services.

What should be done?

Empower municipalities and regional authorities to design targeted, place-based housing solutions with continuity across political cycles. Strengthen coordination between state services and NGOs to identify and assist at-risk groups early, giving local governments more responsibility for implementing tailored, effective solutions. Ensure that local particularities are considered in policy approaches, making them more localized, customized, and realistic in addressing specific needs.

Who should act?

National governments and the European Commission should provide funding, governance frameworks, and guidance that promote decentralization, local responsibility, and continuity.

What impact will it have?

This approach will deliver more responsive, inclusive, and locally adapted housing policies, preventing homelessness before it occurs, ensuring the right to housing is upheld across Europe, and addressing community-specific challenges in a more effective and realistic way.