Mobilising investment in the long-term affordability and sustainability of European housing
Date and time: TBC
Location: European Parliament, Conference Room
MEP Chairing: Annalisa Corrado
Partners co-organizing : Solar Heat Europe – SEFA – EPRA – INREV – EHI
Access to quality, affordable housing for citizens and communities across the EU has become a major concern in recent years, with rising rents, rising house prices, and structurally high energy prices increasing the cost of living. In less than 10 years, between 2025 and 2024, house prices have increased by 53% in the EU and homeownership has declined, especially among young people. Currently, approximately one in ten European households spends more than 40% of their disposable income on housing costs. At the same time, household energy costs have experienced an unprecedented surge since 2021 energy crisis, and they stay high with an average 16% increase for electricity bills between 2020 and 20231.
In light of this situation, the presentation of the European Affordable Housing Plan in December 2025 and the adoption of the European Parliament’s Special Committee on the Housing Crisis report in March 2026 [TBC] have settled housing as a central topic of EU policy.
As overall investment in housing supply remains below the levels needed, mobilising the entire real estate value chain, listed and non-listed stakeholders as well as connected industries, is key to sustainably address the European housing needs.
Furthermore, since long-term affordability and sustainability of housing are closely linked to its energy performance, e. Ensuring efficient and future-proof heating and cooling solutions can help reduce operating costs, enhance household resilience to energy price volatility, and improve living standards across generations.
How can we strategically channel long-term investment to tackle the European housing crisis while ensuring that social housing remains affordable, sustainable, and managable in terms of living costs for citizens who will benefit from it?
The Intergroup as a diverse and multilateral place of exchange would like to present two complementary perspectives - each offering a distinct yet interconnected approach to the same challenge.
