Europe had a role in creating the housing crisis. Now it must resolve it.

Topics Economic Justice Categories Press releases Share As rents continue to rise, new parliamentary Housing Committee and Affordable Housing Action Plan will test the limits of EU influence over housing policy. But housing must first be seen as a fundamental human right, Left conference on housing hears. The Left held a conference in the European Parliament on ‘Tackling Homelessness and the Rising Cost of Housing” which heard from experts working in housing in various European contexts. Housing and homelessness crises are now seen across Europe, and the panel heard that a more concerted effort across the European Union is required to tackle it, including sharing expertise across borders, new state aid provisions, and fresh EU legislation. The panels heard about the drastic slashing of public housing provision in Nordic countries, record levels of homelessness in Ireland, changing root causes of homelessness, generational trauma and related issues such as mental health and social services in housing provision. Kathleen Funchion (Sinn Féin, Ireland) said: “The housing crisis is the biggest social issue facing people in Ireland and the EU today. Political choices have led us to this situation however, where housing crises are now general across Europe. Housing is now more than an issue of simple economics, it impacts everyone.” Leïla Chaibi (La France Insoumise, France) said: “The banking and construction lobbies are the first to enter Commissioner for Energy and...