European Affordable Housing Plan: A Step Towards a Comprehensive Framework

The informal teleconference of Housing Ministers from the 27 EU member states, under the Cyprus Presidency, highlighted the acute housing crisis. The Minister of Interior, Konstantinos Ioannou, stated that housing is a social right and the European Affordable Housing Plan is a crucial step towards a comprehensive European framework.

Mr. Ioannou stressed the need for a strong European approach that complements solutions at the national and local levels. He also referred to the challenges faced by citizens due to rising prices and rents, limited access to finance, and insufficient supply.

The EU Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen, described the housing crisis as a threat to democracy and stressed the need for immediate action. He presented the key elements of the Commission's action plan, highlighting that many of the necessary actions must be taken at the national and local levels.

Mr. Jørgensen also addressed the issue of short-term rentals, mentioning that the Commission will bring forward a legislative proposal to address the problem by the end of the year.

Following the first informal discussion at the Ministerial level, the issue will dominate the agenda of the EPSCO Council on March 9.

Source: CNA