What changed

Increasing the supply of affordable private and public housing

22. Calls on the Member States to adopt an efficient and incentive-based tax system for housing policies; calls on the Commission to undertake a thorough assessment of how tax incentives at national level affect the housing market; underlines that fiscal policies should serve social inclusion; considers that the OECD’s international standards regarding housing policies have proven beneficial, encouraging housing investment and helping to curb house price pressures, thereby stimulating supply in high-demand areas; calls on the Commission and the Member States to establish fiscal incentives for housing renovation and new construction; calls, following a comprehensive impact assessment, for a reform of the VAT Directive that could allow for the application of a super-reduced value added tax rate to the supply and construction of housing, as part of a social policy, as defined by the Member States, to renovation and alteration, including demolition and reconstruction, and repairing of housing and private dwellings, and to the letting of immovable property for residential use; stresses that such measures should respect fiscal neutrality, be consistent with the EU’s objectives and prioritise support for low- and middle-income households;

50. Urges the Commission to present a proposal for a Council recommendation addressing the youth housing crisis, with the aim of improving young people’s access to adequate and affordable housing; stresses that, in order to implement such a Council recommendation, Member States, on a voluntary basis, would be required to present national action plans, setting out concrete measures and, where appropriate, new policies to address young people’s affordability challenges and their exclusion from housing;

52. Recalls Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s commitment in 2019 to ensuring that every child in Europe at risk of poverty or social exclusion, including homelessness, has access to the most basic of rights, such as healthcare, housing and education, which was followed by the adoption of Council Recommendation (EU) 2021/1004 of 14 June 2021 establishing a European Child Guarantee; stresses that the objectives of the European Child Guarantee cannot be achieved without an ambitious dedicated budget at both EU and national level; reiterates, in this context, its call for a substantial dedicated budget of at least EUR 20 billion for the European Child Guarantee; underlines the urgent need for this dedicated budget to be allocated in the next multiannual financial framework in order to respond to the growing challenge of child poverty and social exclusion, including homelessness;

53.55. Believes that it is necessary to promote a European action plan for the support of families, paying particular attention to large families, single-parent families and those in vulnerable situations who struggle with housing insecurity; calls on the Commission and the Member States to integrate family housing needs into the European Affordable Housing Plan and the European Child Guarantee, ensuring that no child grows up in inadequate housing; acknowledges the existence of a generational housing gap, as delayed access to housing restricts the ability of younger generations to live independently and make free life choices, and aggravates Europe’s demographic challenges; recalls that housing is a key factor in supporting demographic dynamics and addressing demographic decline, particularly in regions facing population loss and out-migration; warns that inadequate housing policy undermines demographic growth within the EU; recalls that Europe is an ageing continent, representing a challenge for the housing sector; asks the Commission to include adaptation to ageing in all its housing-related policies calls for housing policies that ensure timely access to affordable housing, reduce unhealthy housing and promote stability for families across all life stages; encourages the Member States to incorporate demographic priorities into their national housing strategies and upcoming EU funding programmes; calls on the Member States to introduce targeted financial incentives for families to facilitate home ownership and long-term rental contracts, thereby easing their financial burden, positively influencing demographic trends and strengthening social stability in Europe; calls on the Member States to fully involve local and regional authorities in developing targeted housing programmes for families; recognises that private home savings funds are a practical and effective tool for individuals and families to invest in housing and encourage greater accessibility to mortgage funding; calls on the Member States to facilitate the implementation and promotion of these measures as part of broader efforts to address the housing crisis; notes with great concern that overcrowded or unstable housing affects children’s education outcomes; demands a substantial boost to the European Child Guarantee, with a dedicated budget of at least EUR 20 billionGuarantee to secure access to adequate housing and related social needs; calls for annual monitoring and reporting on progress towards ending child housing poverty across the EU;