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Role of cohesion policy investment in resolving the current housing crisis

TA-10-2025-0187 · P10_TA(2025)0187 · PE770.013

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✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 4 Sept 2026

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Parliament's resolution on the role of cohesion policy investment in resolving the housing crisis acknowledges the crisis and calls for using cohesion policy funds to boost affordable and social housing, including through mid-term reviews, new objectives, and support for vulnerable groups. It urges the Commission and member states to simplify rules, improve data, and involve local authorities, while proposing measures for rural areas, islands, young people, and the renovation of buildings. The resolution also calls for future cohesion policy post-2027 to prioritize housing, including ending homelessness, and for the New European Bauhaus to become an autonomous programme.

Key points

  1. Acknowledges the EU housing crisis as a social and economic challenge affecting all regions, including rural, island, and outermost regions, and calls for tailored cohesion policy investment.
  2. Calls on the Commission and member states to stimulate public-private partnerships and support a dedicated EIB investment facility for affordable, sustainable housing.
  3. Welcomes the planned EU investment platform for affordable and sustainable housing and recommends EIB collaboration with managing authorities.
  4. Urges using ESF+ to address labour shortages in construction through vocational training and upskilling.
  5. Calls for support for temporary housing for mobile workers, students, and young families to enhance labour mobility.
  6. Urges managing authorities to at least double funds for affordable housing in the mid-term review and develop national housing strategies.
  7. Calls for new flexible objectives on public, social, and affordable housing in revised ESF+ and ERDF-CF regulations, and for broadening CP support to include water efficiency and innovative models.
  8. Asks the Commission to define a common EU framework for social and affordable housing eligibility and introduce an early warning system for housing exclusion.
  9. Calls for investment in affordable housing to be a strategic priority in post-2027 cohesion funds, with binding accessibility standards.
  10. Calls for ending homelessness and addressing energy poverty as explicit objectives in post-2027 CP, and for linking transport and utility investment with housing.
  11. Recommends long-term conditions for CP beneficiaries to support the right to stay and exclude short-term speculative investors.
  12. Calls for the New European Bauhaus to become an autonomous programme in the 2028-2034 MFF.

Who is affected

  • Local and regional authorities: to be involved in shaping CP housing investment and benefit from simplified procedures.
  • Vulnerable groups including young people, single parents, elderly, persons with disabilities, and low-income households: targeted support for housing access.
  • Construction sector: measures to address labour shortages and support training.
  • Rural areas, islands, and outermost regions: tailored strategies and investment to address specific housing challenges.

Figures and deadlines

  • 17 % of Europeans live in homes without adequate space.
  • House prices in the EU have risen on average by 48 %.
  • Housing costs exceed 40 % of disposable income for 10.6 % of urban and 7 % of rural households.
  • Nearly 1.3 million people homeless in Europe in 2024, including 400 000 children.
  • Social housing comprised over 14 million dwellings or 8 % of total housing stock in 2021.
  • EU support of EUR 7.5 billion for housing under CP is about 2 % of the EUR 379 billion total for 2021-2027.
  • Investment gap in affordable housing estimated at EUR 270 billion per year.
  • 49 % of young people aged 18-34 lived with their parents in 2021.

Legal basis: Articles 14, 174, 175, 177 and 349 TFEU, and Protocol 28