Resource context
“Living and working in Europe – 2024 edition” is a yearbook-style report from the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound), a tripartite EU agency established in 1975. The report is authored by Ciara Burbridge and is published under Eurofound, with publication handled by the Publications Office of the European Union (Luxembourg).
Housing crisis as a pan-European challenge
The report frames Europe’s housing crisis as a complex issue affecting renters, homeowners and people experiencing homelessness, with consequences for employment stability, mental health, family formation and social mobility. It distinguishes four interlinked problems: housing exclusion (including young people unable to leave the parental home), housing insecurity (fear of needing to leave soon), problematic housing costs (crowding out other necessities), and housing inadequacy (quality of homes and neighbourhoods).
Affordability pressures and insecurity among private renters
A key finding is that renters in the private market face the highest insecurity. Across the EU, housing costs rose sharply between 2010 and 2019: +23% for tenants versus +8% for homeowners. The report highlights that 46% of private renters feel there is some risk they will have to leave their home within the next three months because they can no longer afford it. It also notes large national differences, with Greece showing the highest share of respondents (across tenure types) expecting they may need to leave because of affordability (22%), followed by Cyprus (19%), and Estonia, Finland and Latvia (16%).
The “squeezed middle” and gaps in housing support
Beyond low-income households, the report describes a growing group of middle-income earners who are priced out of secure, decent housing. These households often earn too much to qualify for social housing or subsidies but too little to cope with rising rents, prices and energy costs. Rigid eligibility thresholds are identified as a barrier that can leave this “squeezed middle” without access to support.
Energy efficiency, renovation and risks of displacement
The report links housing policy to the green transition, arguing that energy efficiency investment can improve housing adequacy while supporting climate goals. It points to EU-level initiatives such as the Affordable Housing Initiative, which aims to renovate 35 million buildings by 2030. At the same time, it warns that renovation and upgrading programmes may raise rents rather than benefit low-income tenants unless safeguards are in place to prevent cost pass-through and displacement.
Preventing eviction through early intervention
Eviction prevention is presented as most effective when support is triggered early, before a crisis escalates. The report highlights proactive intervention models, including approaches where social services are alerted when households face eviction risk, enabling timely assistance to stabilise tenancies and reduce homelessness.
Policy implication: coordinated housing strategy
Overall, the report emphasises that Europe’s housing challenges cut across affordability, security and quality, and require coordinated policy that integrates housing with social protection and sustainability objectives, while ensuring that the benefits of investment and renovation reach vulnerable groups.