The European Housing Crisis

Across Europe, the fundamental right to shelter has fractured into a multi-dimensional emergency. Rents and purchase prices have severely outpaced wages, leaving young people, migrants, and key workers to bear the heaviest burden. This affordability gap is compounded by a stark vacancy paradox, where millions of properties stand empty while housing demand surges. Driving this crisis is the deep financialisation of the market, which increasingly treats homes as speculative assets rather than places to live. Furthermore, the built environment remains a critical ecological challenge, generating a third of the bloc's emissions. Recognising this severity, the European Commission has elevated affordable housing to a top policy priority, acknowledging that resolving the crisis requires tackling structural speculation alongside urgent, carbon-conscious renovations.

This page gathers the essential evidence base to understand these intersecting challenges. Below, you will find financialisation studies examining corporate landlords and the impact of short-term rentals in Berlin, alongside open data trends mapping the wider affordability gap. The collection highlights practical interventions, from repurposing empty spaces in Britain to analysing construction costs in Dublin and sufficiency strategies for the EU Whole Life Carbon Roadmap. You can connect with leading organisations such as the European Network of Housing Research, the KU Leuven Urban Studies Institute, and Pushback Talks. We invite you to explore these resources and discover upcoming events, including the Affordable Housing Initiative Days and the ENHR Annual Conference 2026, to join the debate on shaping a fairer housing future.