With the European elections just over two weeks away, we have just published a legal briefing: The EU and its Member States must respect and promote the right to adequate housing in Europe!
Access to affordable and quality housing is essential for the dignity, well-being and inclusion of all people in the European Union. Today, however, a growing number of EU citizens face challenges in accessing adequate and affordable housing, whether to rent or to buy. In 2022, 8.7% of the EU population spent 40% or more of their disposable household income on housing. At least 895,000 people in Europe are homeless. This estimate - which focuses only on the most visible forms of homelessness - highlights the challenge for European countries to make housing a fundamental right. The European Commission has recognised the growing problem of inadequate and unaffordable housing in many European countries.
While respecting the principle of subsidiarity and building on the achievements of the previous mandate, we see the forthcoming European Parliament as a unique opportunity for further progress on housing rights. This briefing serves as a call to action to promote and respect the right to adequate housing by reminding the EU and its Member States of the international and European obligations.
You can read the full text here.
Spanish version here.
