On 9 September, the Commission presented a proposal for the Affordable Housing Act and a Commission Recommendation to support national, regional and local authorities in addressing housing affordability and availability in areas facing the greatest pressures.
The lack of affordable housing has become one of the most urgent concerns for Europeans. According to a Eurobarometer, 51% of Europeans living in cities consider housing as an immediate and urgent problem where they live. The Affordable Housing Act provides the first-ever common European framework for assessing housing-related measures affecting the single market. It leaves the decision on whether to act, and which measures to adopt, to the competent authorities. Housing policy choices remain national, regional and local.
The new rules are designed to help competent authorities identify “areas under housing stress” using a common methodology. Where authorities choose to restrict the use of housing, for instance for short-term rentals or vacant dwellings, they must show that this contributes to local housing pressures and ensure that any measures are targeted, necessary and proportionate.
For residents in areas under pressure, the aim is that measures taken locally are better targeted, better supported by evidence and reviewed over time, and that they are accompanied by measures to increase housing supply. Investors and property owners operating across several local markets will benefit from more clarity on the EU legal framework.
The proposal is accompanied by a Recommendation on housing affordability and supply in areas under housing stress. It supports authorities in their efforts to increase housing supply in areas that need it most, including through faster planning and permitting of new construction renovation and repurposing buildings and facilitating investment. Authorities are also encouraged to concentrate such efforts to increase housing supply via Housing Acceleration Plans.
More information:
- Landing page for the Affordable Housing Act
- Affordable Housing Act – proposed EU Regulation
- Affordable Housing Act – Commission Recommendation
- Affordable Housing Act – Impact assessment
Source: Europea Commission | Press Corner (https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_26_1792)