Housing Affordability & Social Inclusion

The escalating cost of housing is a defining social challenge, determining who can participate in urban life and who is pushed to the margins. This topic explores the multifaceted nature of affordability and inclusion, examining how rent burdens and shifting tenure structures lock people out of their communities. The crisis spans a broad spectrum of exclusion, from key workers priced out of the cities they serve to the extreme realities of homelessness. Recognising these generational and spatial inequalities, recent frameworks like the European Affordable Housing Plan and the European Parliament's HOUS Special Committee have placed affordability at the top of the political agenda. Understanding this landscape requires looking beyond property prices to see how discrimination and a lack of social housing affect vulnerable populations.

Below, you will find a curated selection of resources, organisations, and events unpacking these dynamics. The knowledge library features cross-cutting literature, including ESPON big data analyses, the Housing first guide Europe, and dedicated research for the HOUS Special Committee. You can also discover entities pioneering inclusive solutions, from cooperative models like Am Ostseeplatz eG and Cooperative Housing in Sofia to public providers such as Aquitanis. To connect with the wider sector, browse upcoming gatherings like the Housing First Europe Conference 2026 and the Affordable Housing Initiative Days. Whether you are researching urban spatial dimensions or seeking shared living projects like Calico and Blaue Insel, we invite you to explore the materials shaping inclusive European housing.