20 de February de 2026
Dinamización rural
Resiliencia y competitividad
Biodiversidad y paisaje
The “European Affordable Housing Plan” combines more supply, investment and reforms to ease pressure on households
- The “European Affordable Housing Plan” combines more supply, investment and reforms to ease pressure on households
- The document incorporates rehabilitation and the “right to remain” in rural areas
- Housing prices have increased by more than 60% in the last decade in the European Union
Access to affordable housing has become one of the main social challenges facing the European Union (EU) . Sustained price increases, supply shortages, and pressure on urban markets are increasingly affecting households, including those with middle incomes and those whose roles are essential to the functioning of their territories. This situation not only puts pressure on large cities but also highlights territorial imbalances between urban and rural areas, where a lack of services and opportunities limits the use of the existing housing stock.
In this context, the European Commission (EC) presented on December 16, 2025 the first European Affordable Housing Plan , an unprecedented initiative at community level that seeks to strengthen access to affordable, sustainable and quality housing through greater European coordination and support for national, regional and local policies.
Previous data
The Plan is based on a shared diagnosis: the housing crisis no longer affects only vulnerable groups, but extends to broad segments of the population and has very different impacts depending on the region. Among the main data collected by the EC are:
Housing prices have risen by more than 60% since 2013 in urban and rural areas, exceeding income growth.
Average rent increase of close to 20% in the last decade.
Decline in investment in new housing and a 22% drop in building permits since 2021.
More than two million new homes are needed each year to meet EU demand .
While cities and tourist destinations exert the greatest pressure on prices, rural areas and territories experiencing demographic decline face different challenges, such as underutilized housing, population loss, and difficulties in accessing services, transportation, and connectivity.
Four pillars
The “European Affordable Housing Plan” is structured around four main pillars that combine immediate measures with medium-term reforms:
Increasing the supply of housing by removing barriers and improving the efficiency of the sector.
Mobilizing public and private investment to close the existing gap.
Immediate support in areas under real estate pressure, along with structural reforms.
Protection of the groups most affected by the crisis.
This approach allows solutions to be adapted to the diversity of markets and territorial realities in the EU.
More housing and greater efficiency
One of the central aims of the Plan is to facilitate the construction and renovation of more housing, reducing costs and timelines without compromising quality or sustainability. The lines of action include:
Boosting innovation , industrialization and digitalization in construction.
Development of a European Strategy for Housing Construction .
Simplification of administrative rules and procedures.
Priority to the rehabilitation and reuse of the existing housing stock.
In this respect, the Plan introduces a territorial vision for housing policy, linked to the so-called “right to remain,” which seeks to make living in rural and less populated areas viable. Housing rehabilitation, along with improvements to digital connectivity, transportation, and basic services, is presented as a tool to retain population and alleviate pressure on urban markets.
Legal certainty and future plans
The Plan acknowledges that the housing deficit requires a significant increase in investment and greater legal certainty for the administrations and agents involved:
Creation of a Pan-European Investment Platform for affordable and sustainable housing.
Mobilization of European and private funds through instruments such as InvestEU .
Review of state aid rules to facilitate public support for social and affordable housing.
Actions to improve market transparency and analyze speculative behavior.
It also includes specific measures for young people, students, essential workers and people in vulnerable situations, with actions in social housing, prevention of homelessness and the fight against energy poverty.
As a complement, the EC proposes creating a European Housing Alliance and holding the first European Housing Summit in 2026, with the aim of strengthening cooperation between administrations and stakeholders involved.
With this initiative, housing is consolidated as a priority on the European agenda, not only from a social perspective, but also as a key tool for territorial cohesion, the balance between urban and rural areas and the sustainable economic development of the EU as a whole.