The PES Group in the European Committee of the Regions adopted today a declaration on “Affordable Housing Needs Europe – Europe Needs Affordable Housing”.
The declaration calls for decisive EU action to make the right to housing a reality for all and it sets out 20 concrete requests on different aspects of housing policy, including making social and affordable housing an enforceable fundamental right for all, increasing European investment in housing, fully implementing the European Platform on Combatting Homelessness, better taking account of the gender dimension of housing policies, coming up with a European plan to resolve the crisis of student housing, and establishing an EU transparency registry for housing to fight speculation.
Drafted at the PES Group's external meeting in Portimão (Portugal), which focused on “Housing for all: Progressive cities and regions building the future of housing policy”, the declaration was handed to Nicolas Schmit, common candidate of the Party of European Socialists (PES) for the 2024 European elections.
PES Group President Christophe Rouillon said: “Today, tens of millions of Europeans are overburdened by housing costs. Gathered in Portimão, socialist local and regional leaders elaborated 20 concrete proposals to successfully tackle the social and environmental challenges linked to housing, by calling for, inter alia: a massive new investment plan for housing, resolute measures to fight speculation and homelessness, and the need to acknowledge and address gender inequalities in housing. These are key levers to make social and affordable housing an enforceable fundamental right for all. Only by pursuing a Fair Green Deal, can we win trust back in Europe and defeat the extremes.”
Isilda Gomes, Mayor of Portimão, stressed: “This declaration is a good example of how the well-known saying “Think Global, Act Local” can be applied in the field of housing. The commitments outlined in the 20 measures open up to a path that can be followed by regions and municipalities across Europe in order to take local decisions in a concerted way, and to successfully tackle the housing crisis, which unfortunately affects citizens in all EU member states.”
Nicolas Schmit, common candidate of the Party of European Socialists (PES) for the 2024 European elections, underlined: “To tackle the housing crisis in Europe, it is time to deliver European and progressive solutions that bring housing costs down. For us Socialists and Social Democrats, housing is not a commodity, but a human right. As the lead candidate of our political family, I fully endorse the 20 measures of the Portimão Declaration that support Member States, regions and cities in addressing the current housing crisis by, for instance, investing more into affordable and social housing and limiting excessive short-term rentals. It is essential to support young people, who are among those most affected by the housing crisis and those we particularly need to listen to and answer to when they talk about their concerns.”
Klara Geywitz, Deputy Leader of the SPD and Federal Minister of Housing, Germany, emphasised: “There may be 27 housing markets, but housing is an issue for almost every European. Too many citizens struggle to find good quality homes, and even those with housing are finding it increasingly unaffordable to heat their home. It is time for solid public investment in social housing, so affordable homes are available to all those in need.”
***
Notes to the editor:
