EU employment and social affairs ministers have approved conclusions calling for housing policy to reflect demographic changes such as ageing populations, smaller households and rural-to-urban migration.
Europe’s housing crisis has “multifaceted” and “intergenerational” effects, and noted links to issues including social cohesion, environmental sustainability and labour mobility, the Council of the EU said in a statement on Monday.
Housing remains primarily the responsibility of individual EU member states, it added, but the Council invited the European Commission to continue supporting national efforts to improve access to suitable and affordable homes.
Konstantinos Ioannou, Cyprus’s interior minister, said housing needs across Europe are changing as populations age, households shrink and urbanisation increases, creating challenges for “young people, families, and essential workers”.
Groups most affected and pressures on supply
The Council said the housing crisis is having a disproportionate effect on groups including young people, older people, people with disabilities, families with children, low- and middle-income households, and essential workers such as teachers and health staff.
Member states were urged to take these needs into account when designing housing policies, including by promoting accessible housing and considering intergenerational co-living arrangements.
The conclusions also listed factors linked to housing shortages and affordability pressures, including the concentration of jobs and education in densely populated cities, rising construction costs, property speculation, and the popularity of short-term rentals in some places.
The Council called for greater public and private investment and for resources to be focused on regions experiencing the most persistent housing pressures, and said a “fresh approach” to construction could include repurposing existing buildings and reducing unnecessary red tape.
It also noted that energy efficiency requirements for buildings can contribute to higher construction costs, while calling for environmental considerations to be incorporated into housing policy in a more holistic way.
EU leaders discussed housing challenges in October 2025, and the European Commission published a European Affordable Housing Plan on 16 December 2025 — described as the first comprehensive EU-level strategy to support member states, regions and cities.
