Affordable Housing Act (debate), European Parliament plenary, 6 October 2026

This is the official verbatim report of a European Parliament plenary debate held on 6 October 2026 (item 11) on the Council and Commission statements on the Affordable Housing Act (2026/2918(RSP)). The report is published by the European Parliament. Translations of speeches are machine-made and are not part of the official record.

• Thomas Byrne, President-in-Office of the Council, states that the European Council in October 2025 called for an ambitious plan on affordable housing, and that the Irish Presidency will hold an informal meeting of housing ministers.
• The proposal, published by the Commission on 9 September, is a regulation establishing a framework for Member States to safeguard housing affordability and availability, including measures on short-term rentals in areas of housing stress.
• Dan Jørgensen, Member of the Commission, states that short-term rentals, second homes and vacant properties are "not the root cause" of the crisis but are "a part of the challenge", and that the act gives legal certainty while decisions remain local, regional and national.

• Supply side: Several speakers, including Nikolina Brnjac (EPP), Markus Ferber (EPP) and Hildegard Bentele (EPP), argue the act does not add homes and call for simplification and faster permits. Brnjac states that the EU is "missing 10 million housing units".
• Property rights: PfE and parts of EPP and ECR object that the act could restrict second-home ownership and infringe the right to property.
• Regulation and speculation: S&D, Greens and The Left call for action on vulture funds, rent limits and public housing; Irene Tinagli (S&D) describes access to housing as "a common good".
• Subsidiarity: Speakers from ECR and PfE stress that housing is a national or regional competence.

• Isabelle Le Callennec (EPP) notes that short-term rentals represent 1.2% of housing in Europe; Georgiana Teodorescu (ECR) cites the same figure.
• Lara Magoni (ECR) cites a Commission estimate that over 2 million more homes are needed every year until 2035.
• Marc Angel (S&D) states that 1.4 million people in Europe face homelessness.

• The Council has begun technical discussion, with a working-group analysis planned; the Council aims to reach agreement and then proceed to trilogue.
• Proposals raised include a housing omnibus, simplified permits, public and social housing funding, rent caps and a possible European fund for affordable housing.

The debate records the positions of the Council, the Commission and the Members of the European Parliament ahead of interinstitutional negotiations on the Affordable Housing Act, for the Parliament's public record and for those following the file.