The European Housing Crisis

Across Europe, the right to a home is being eroded by a multi-dimensional emergency. Rents and purchase prices have outpaced wages for over a decade, 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 is increasingly traded as a financial asset. Furthermore, the built environment drives a third of EU emissions, demanding a just transition that renovates existing stock without deepening inequalities. Acknowledging this reality, the European Commission recently introduced its first-ever European Affordable Housing Plan, signalling a vital shift in continental policy.

This collection gathers the evidence base on these challenges. Readers will find diagnostic reports like Europe's Great Housing Crisis Is Only Getting Started, alongside policy evaluations such as the Social Housing Policy Brief and Cities for rent. To explore sustainable solutions, resources including Social-Ecological Cooperative Housing and Exploring the just transition in Europe offer critical insights. The page also highlights organisations driving the conversation, from the European Network of Housing Research to the Green European Journal and Pushback Talks. Finally, those looking to engage directly can discover events ranging from World Habitat Day to the Conference on affordable housing. We invite you to explore these materials to better understand the forces reshaping our cities.