As rents continue to rise, new parliamentary Housing Committee and Affordable Housing Action Plan will test the limits of EU influence over housing policy. But housing must first be seen as a fundamental human right, Left conference on housing hears.

The Left held a conference in the European Parliament on ‘Tackling Homelessness and the Rising Cost of Housing” which heard from experts working in housing in various European contexts. Housing and homelessness crises are now seen across Europe, and the panel heard that a more concerted effort across the European Union is required to tackle it, including sharing expertise across borders, new state aid provisions, and fresh EU legislation.

The panels heard about the drastic slashing of public housing provision in Nordic countries, record levels of homelessness in Ireland, changing root causes of homelessness, generational trauma and related issues such as mental health and social services in housing provision.

Kathleen Funchion (Sinn Féin, Ireland) said: “The housing crisis is the biggest social issue facing people in Ireland and the EU today. Political choices have led us to this situation however, where housing crises are now general across Europe. Housing is now more than an issue of simple economics, it impacts everyone.”

Leïla Chaibi (La France Insoumise, France) said: “The banking and construction lobbies are the first to enter Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jorgensen’s office because they see the EU as a piggy bank. But momentum in housing policy has started. The balance of power is not in our favor, but where we are strong is when we break down barriers and bring the main stakeholders into Parliament. That is our strength, and that is what will help us win.”

Estrella Galán (Sumar, Spain) said: “Our society is facing an unprecedented housing emergency, with around one million people sleeping on the streets every night in the EU. Behind this data we find clear policy failures: disinvestment in social housing, lack of price and rent control, and insufficient social protection against eviction. We need to protect vulnerable groups and allocate at least 5% of EU cohesion funds to the fight against homelessness.”

Li Andersson (Vasemmistoliitto, Finland) said “In order to solve the housing crisis, we need a shift in housing policy. Here, simply demanding affordable housing is not enough. We need to develop non-profit housing models, which have produced positive outcomes in Finland.”

Hanna Gedin (Vänsterpartiet, Sweden) said “One of the most basic needs for any human being is the ready access to good, affordable housing. Throughout Europe, this has been the biggest failure of politics in the last twenty years. Housing costs have risen much faster than incomes and in many cities workers are no longer able to make ends meet. The free market will not solve this problem. Housing is not a commodity, it’s a human right. Combatting the housing crisis is one of the most pressing political issue of our time.”