Unequal housing affordability across European cities. The ESPON Housing Database, Insights on Affordability in Selected Cities in Europe

The data-paper titled "Unequal housing affordability across European cities" was authored by Bartosz Bartosiewicz and published by Cybergeo. It aims to provide an understanding of the growing importance of housing affordability for public policies and scholarly research. The paper presents a harmonized, internationally comparable database designed to quantify the impacts of the housing affordability crisis across various urban areas in Europe. The dataset is integral for exploring social filtering processes, gentrification, and socio-economic inequalities.

The database originates from the ESPON Big Data for Territorial Analysis of Housing Dynamics research program, a regional planning initiative for the European Commission. It addresses the increasing challenge of accessing decent and affordable housing in major European cities. The goal is to inform on the growing and unequal affordability gap at local geographical levels, providing tools for comparison within and between cities. The original ESPON report from 2019 aimed to influence European public policies related to territorial cohesion.

The paper identifies three critical dimensions of the housing affordability issue. Firstly, it highlights that the gap between housing prices and household income has widened since the 1990s, with housing prices increasing at a faster rate than incomes in many post-industrial regions. Secondly, the affordability crisis has intensified since the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, leading to unprecedented pathways of accumulation and vulnerability for households in OECD countries. Thirdly, the research discusses the diverse housing regimes across European cities and how these have evolved since the financial crisis.

The methodology involves integrating conventional and unconventional data sources to fill the gaps in harmonized spatial data for mapping affordability in Europe. The study aggregates data across various geographical levels, such as 1 km square grids and municipalities. The database covers ten Functional Urban Areas (FUAs) across four countries: Switzerland, France, Spain, and Poland, including cities like Geneva, Paris, and Warsaw.

The research underscores that housing prices have increased significantly in relation to income, with many regions experiencing steep declines in ownership rates and a growth in the private rental sector. The paper indicates that the affordability crisis is not uniform across Europe, as different countries exhibit varying pathways and housing regimes. For instance, while some nations have seen a growth in private rentals, others have stabilized ownership rates due to new regulations.

The study addresses a significant data gap regarding the lack of harmonized spatial data to analyze affordability. It emphasizes the need for reproducible research methodologies that can bridge the data divide. Future expansions of the database aim to include more comprehensive analyses of temporal-spatial dynamics of affordability, thus providing a more thorough understanding of the housing landscape across Europe.

This data-paper serves as a vital resource for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders interested in sustainable housing solutions across Europe. It provides a framework for understanding housing affordability issues and facilitates future research by making data accessible and reproducible. The findings can inform strategies aimed at tackling the housing affordability crisis and promoting equitable access to housing in urban areas.