Housing affordability has become an increasingly widespread and urgent issue across Europe. Rising house prices and rents, interest rates, utility and renovation costs are affecting both low- and middle-income households, particularly in major cities and other growth poles. Vulnerable people suffer disproportionately from this situation, especially if they cannot access social housing, and social services. Housing costs can also represent a major challenge for families, young people and those working in essential sectors such as healthcare and education.

Although mainly a Member State, regional and local competence, the European Commission plans to assess where added European value can be found by developing a new European approach to affordable and sustainable housing. To do this, the Commission launched a public consultation to gather input from citizens and a wide range of stakeholders to help identify where EU-level action would add the most value.

REScoop.eu welcomes the European Affordable Housing Plan, and highlights the role of citizen-led renovations to tackle some of the housing issues. The Affordable Housing Plan must help Member States and their local authorities to further support bottom-up approaches by citizens and their energy communities, given their positive impact on social acceptance and the price of renovations. Social justice through active citizen engagement should be the centrepiece of the Plan.