our plea
These propositions are drawn from a series of convenings bringing together experts, practitioners, policymakers, and residents from across Europe. They reflect shared concerns and collective ambition. Across Europe, rising costs, displacement, and inadequate housing supply threaten social inclusion, cohesion, and decent living. These 16 points are our collective response.
"A liveable Europe demands coordinated EU action, ...
Treat Housing as a system
Housing is part of a larger system, which is precisely why it is an EU priority. Housing policy must integrate with spatial planning, mobility, labour, health, and sustainability. Fragmentation has failed us. We must now align instruments, institutions, and investments around shared territorial and social outcomes.European lens on housing challenges
Rural depopulation, rapid urbanisation, and housing market tensions are not isolated
national issues , they are transboundary phenomena. Migration, labour dynamics, and investment flows cross borders and demand coordinated EU-level strategies.Housing as the engine of EU ambition The European Affordable Housing Plan must not stand alone. It must align with the Draghi report, the Competitiveness Compass, and EU goals on climate, mobility, and public health. Good housing and urban planning is a precondition for productivity, innovation, and a just green transition.
Infrastructure as a Structural Housing Bottleneck Energy grid congestion has emerged as an unexpected barrier to housing delivery. In the Netherlands, new housing connections are blocked by grid capacity alone. The EU must recognise energy infrastructure as a housing issue and coordinate grid investments with national and regional housing plans.
financial transparency, and ...
Multilevel Governance: Complementary Responsibilities
The EU harmonises, setting shared standards for building regulations and financial instruments. Member States implement, translating frameworks into national policy. Cities and regions deliver, where needs are most acute and solutions most tangible. Not a hierarchy, but a complementary chain of responsibility. It only works when all three levels are empowered to play their part.Confront the crisis of spatial mismatch
Too often, people are pushed far from where opportunities exist. This is not just a housing shortage, it is a failure to put the right homes in the right places. Match housing policy with spatial, mobility, and economic strategies. Plan for equity, not just quantity.Plan the city, not just the building
Shift the emphasis from isolated projects to integrated, long-term planning frameworks. Restore the role of planning as a democratic and creative act, one that shapes not only where we live, but how we live together. Support local authorities in reclaiming long-term planning capacity, especially in underserved territories.Fix what we have first
Europe’s greatest potential lies in its existing neighbourhoods. We don’t have a shortage of square meters, we have a distribution problem. Unlock the value of what is already built through retrofitting, densification, and circular construction. Reuse is not a fallback; it is innovation.empowered local governments, ...
New money must mean new money
There are serious doubts about whether the ’new money’ in the European Affordable Housing Plan is genuinely additional or simply relabeled cohesion funds. This is a matter of political credibility. The European Commission must provide clear,
verifiable accounting that distinguishes new resources from reallocated ones, backed by independent monitoring.EU regulatory tools for short- term rentals
Short-term rental platforms are hollowing out housing availability across European cities. The EU must introduce binding regulations, transparency requirements, market-linked caps, and the power for local authorities to apply stricter controls where housing stress is severe.Open dialogue on public instruments
EU funds must benefit those building for the common good. Introduce social conditionalities to guard against financialisation. Establish mechanisms to retain capital within the housing system, ensuring returns are reinvested into affordability and resilience, not extracted for private gain.When EU rules become housing barriers
The ATAD directive is costing Dutch housing associations over €400 million per year in lost investment capacity, an unintended consequence of tax law. EU must systematically audit regulation for negative impacts on social and affordable housing, and introduce corrective mechanisms where harm is identified..... residents leading the way, starting now.”
Housing is culture, not just construction
When we build living environments, we are not just constructing physical spaces but shaping societies and building for communities. Housing is cultural infrastructure. It reflects who we are, how we relate to one another, and the values we choose to uphold.Put residents at the center
Involve tenants, residents, and local actors in designing and evaluating housing strategies. Participation is the foundation of legitimacy and justice. With the right tools and resources, communities can collectively drive systemic change.Mechanisms for procedural feedback and learning
Cities and regions must be supported through transparent, iterative processes of reflection and adaptation. This means clear procedural guidance from higher governance levels, peer exchange among territories, and the capacity for local actors to learn and improve in real time.Reconnect the networks
We must build a platform where planners talk with designers, where tenants speak alongside developers, where Brussels learns from Bilbao, and Amsterdam learns from Zagreb. Europe must not only legislate but facilitate dialogue, exchange, and experimentation.
The International Federation for Housing and Planning (IFHP) is a global network of housing and planning professionals, rooted in the belief that every person deserves a decent home and a worthy place to live. We bring these propositions forward in direct response to the European Affordable Housing Plan. Integrated housing and planning, at every scale, is the only path forward.