European Commission publishes results of the public consultation underpinning the first European Affordable Housing Plan

The European Commission has published the results of the extensive public consultation carried out to prepare the first European Affordable Housing Plan (EAHP). This open consultation, which also informed the European Strategy for Housing Construction and ran in parallel with other consultations on State aid and the New European Bauhaus, received a total of 13,330 responses. Of these, 12,031 came from citizens and approximately 1,300 from experts, with strong representation from countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Greece and Portugal. Participation was influenced by a mobilisation campaign from a major short-term rental platform, which may have prompted up to 2,700 additional responses, especially on topics related to the rental market.

The consultation was structured in two main parts: one for citizens, focused on understanding their living situation, their experiences and the disadvantages of their current home; and another for experts, organised around twelve key thematic areas. Almost half of the expert responses came from the private sector, mostly small businesses, and more than half of these were linked to tourism and short-term rentals, including owners of secondary homes. This extensive participatory exercise, complemented by close exchanges with Member States, regional and local representatives, and EU institutions, has provided a solid basis for drafting the plan. The consultation results offer a detailed picture of the challenges and potential solutions to address the housing crisis.

In the area of financing, support is shown for blended finance strategies, risk distribution mechanisms and public-private partnerships to improve access to housing, especially for young people. Regarding construction and accessibility, participants highlighted the need to simplify procedures, speed up permitting and promote innovative building techniques to reduce costs, as well as the reuse of vacant buildings. The consultation also confirmed that lengthy and complex administrative procedures, and a lack of coordination between authorities, are major obstacles, and good practices were collected to simplify spatial planning and land use.

Regarding the rental market, perspectives were gathered on the impact of short-term accommodation and secondary homes on affordability, and on measures to balance short- and long-term needs. In this vein, contributions were obtained to ensure affordable and accessible housing for people in vulnerable situations or at risk of discrimination, with special attention to young people. Finally, on governance, participants emphasised the importance of exchanging best practices, creating comparable data and aligning EU funds with national housing strategies, pointing to funding, capacity building and technical assistance as key areas for future European action.