Resource context
This Knowledge Database entry is based on a POLITICO news article by Aitor Hernández-Morales and Ferdinand Knapp about European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s housing-focused priorities for the European Union’s 2026 legislative agenda. The article frames housing affordability as part of the broader cost-of-living pressures across EU member states and positions forthcoming EU-level initiatives as a response to rising rents and purchase prices in major cities.
Housing affordability as a competitiveness and social issue
In her address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, von der Leyen stated that “affordability is a main subject” of the Commission Work Program for 2026. She linked housing costs to EU competitiveness by asking how Europe can remain competitive if full-time workers cannot afford to live near areas with good job opportunities. The article presents this as a political and economic argument for housing action, emphasizing that the Commission sees access to affordable housing as connected to protecting citizens and upholding European values.
Short-term rentals: planned EU initiative in spring 2026
A central upcoming proposal highlighted in the article is a “landmark initiative” on regulating short-term rentals, expected in spring 2026. Tourist flats (furnished accommodation for brief stays) are described as a significant contributor to “sky-high” housing costs in major EU cities. Housing Commissioner Dan Jørgensen is quoted signaling support for regulation, arguing that policy should prevent local residents from being pushed out of their neighborhoods. The Commission’s approach is characterized as aiming for a “firm but fair” regulatory balance.
Construction Services Act and reducing barriers to building
Toward the end of 2026, the Commission plans to publish a Construction Services Act. According to the article, the goal is to reduce regulatory burdens affecting the building sector and to accelerate the delivery of new homes. This is presented as a supply-side measure intended to help address housing shortages by making it easier and faster to construct housing at scale.
Affordable Housing Plan and addressing financialization
The article also points to an Affordable Housing Plan expected in December (as described within the piece) that would “target the financialization” of housing stock and aim to curb speculation. Jørgensen is quoted describing the intent as helping end “selfish speculation on a basic need like our homes.” The combination of anti-speculation framing and regulatory proposals suggests a policy package spanning market oversight and construction-sector reform.
Political pressure and far-right mobilization around housing
Housing affordability is portrayed as a driver of political volatility, with the article stating that the housing crisis is fueling the growth of far-right parties across the EU. Examples cited include the Netherlands, where Geert Wilders and the Party for Freedom won the 2023 national vote while campaigning on a housing shortage they said was exacerbated by migrants and asylum seekers. Portugal is also referenced, where the Chega party surged to become the leading opposition by criticizing mainstream parties for failing to tackle rapidly rising home prices. The article situates EU institutional action within this wider political context.
Institutional follow-up and EU-level attention
Von der Leyen is described as reaffirming personal commitment to housing policy ahead of her 2024 reelection as Commission president and characterizing the shortage as a social crisis in her State of the European Union address. The European Parliament has launched a special committee focused on the crisis, and national leaders are expected to discuss housing at an upcoming European Council summit in Brussels. Overall, the article depicts housing as an increasingly central EU agenda item for 2026, spanning rental-market regulation, construction policy, and anti-speculation measures.