Access to Affordable and Quality Housing for All People

Overview of the ESPON HOUSE4ALL Report

The ESPON HOUSE4ALL project, coordinated by the ESPON European Territorial Cooperation network, delivers a comprehensive analysis of housing affordability and quality across Europe. The research team includes Franziska Sielker, Selim Banabak, Marlene Gerhalter, Tatjana Neuhuber, David Sutterlütti, Julia Dorner, Lucas Claire Reckhaus, Efrain Larrea and numerous additional scholars. ESPON, a European research organization funded by the EU, ensures the study aligns with the ESPON 2030 Cooperation Programme and the European Regional Development Fund.

Key Findings on Affordability

• Homeownership is highly unaffordable in many regions: in Eastern Europe (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania) a typical single‑person household would need over 30 years of mortgage repayments for a modest 25 m² unit.
• In Western and Northern Europe, major urban centres (Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Vienna) also show severe constraints, with mortgage durations exceeding 30 years for 75 m² apartments.
• Rental affordability varies: studios (25 m²) are generally affordable (under 30 % of income) in Scandinavia, the Baltics and much of France, but exceed two‑thirds of income in parts of Hungary, Romania and Poland. Mid‑size rentals (45‑75 m²) often require 30‑60 % of income in Portugal, southern Spain, Ireland and Germany.
• Spatial price differences dominate intra‑country affordability gaps, while national income levels explain inter‑country variations.

Geographic Distribution of Housing Prices

The project maps average sales prices per square metre, highlighting the highest tiers (≥ €2 500–€5 000 /m²) in Switzerland, Ireland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Austria. Mid‑range prices dominate Portugal, Spain and Italy, with rural pockets remaining lower. Rental price maps show similar concentration of high rents in Switzerland, the Netherlands and Ireland, while Eastern Germany, parts of Spain, Italy and many Eastern European regions exhibit lower rents.

Drivers of the Housing Crisis

Demand‑side factors identified include rapid urbanisation, population growth, smaller household sizes, cheap credit and short‑term rental platforms. Supply‑side constraints involve limited land availability, rigid zoning, high construction costs, low productivity in the building sector and lengthy approval processes. The analysis notes that land prices account for roughly 80 % of price increases in many markets.

Policy Landscape and Governance

European housing policy has shifted between two paradigms: “Enabling Markets” (market‑oriented, minimal state intervention) and “Regulating Markets to Make Housing for All” (post‑2000 focus on affordability and social provision). Governance varies across three models: centralized (e.g., Portugal, France), decentralized with strong intergovernmental cooperation (e.g., Austria, Sweden) and fragmented multi‑level systems (e.g., Hungary, Italy). Key instruments include rent control, housing allowances, vacancy taxes, and non‑profit/social housing provision.

Innovative Practices and Case Studies

• Social Rental Agencies in Budapest act as intermediaries, securing affordable rents for vulnerable households while guaranteeing income to private landlords.
• Temporary rent‑free housing in Como, Italy addresses tourism‑driven rental pressure for 6‑18 month stays.
• Non‑profit housing in Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands delivers cost‑based rents, dampening private market prices.
• Housing First programmes in Croatia, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain provide immediate permanent housing without preconditions, supported by EU funds.

Financial Context and EU Support

The report notes a PDF size of 3.5 MB and a public status. Funding for the project stems from the ESPON 2030 programme and the European Regional Development Fund. EU mechanisms such as the Recovery and Resilience Facility, European Investment Bank loans, the Social Climate Fund and the European Regional Development Fund are highlighted as essential for energy‑efficient renovations, affordable‑housing construction and addressing energy poverty.

Sustainable Housing Implications

Energy‑efficient retrofits are a central theme: the project’s big‑data web‑scraping of 22 million listings underpins a methodology that integrates housing costs with disposable income, allowing assessment of mortgage‑year burdens under a one‑third income threshold. The study stresses that sustainable housing cannot be separated from affordability; high renovation costs can exacerbate unaffordability unless paired with targeted subsidies and low‑interest financing.

Outlook and Future Research

The authors recommend continuous monitoring of housing markets using weekly web‑scraping to detect early price pressures, development of additional affordability indicators (e.g., dwelling type differentiation), and linking housing data with broader socio‑economic metrics. Ongoing updates to the European Housing Policy Compendium and comparative case‑study research are deemed vital for informing policy at both national and EU levels.