The European Parliament wants to promote access to decent housing and proposes, among other things, to end homelessness in the European Union by 2030, by promoting the principle of ‘housing first’, in a report presented by Kim van Sparrentak (Greens/EFA, The Netherlands), which was adopted on Thursday 21 January (391 votes in favour, 114 against, 177 abstentions).
“The right to housing is simply a fundamental right. However, due to excessive market forces, this is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve. As the European Parliament, we are now showing how this can be done”, van Sparrentak said after the vote.
In particular, MEPs call for EU budget and State Aid rules to be adapted to allow more investment in the housing sector, especially in affordable housing for low and middle-income households. As such, they call for a revision of the definition of social housing to extend the exemption system to the entire housing sector.
MEPs urge the European Commission to include a proposal for an obligation to exchange information for platforms in the short-term rental market (such as Airbnb) in the Digital Services Act (see EUROPE 12623/1). They also point out that the lack of regulation of the property market by financial stakeholders is harmful and works against access to affordable housing.
According to the European Parliament, the EU must proclaim the goal of eradicating homelessness by 2030, with a focus on the LGBTIQ community, women and minorities. Such an objective would contribute to achieving the UN’s sustainable development goals in Europe, they stress.
In connection with the European Green Deal, MEPs also insist on housing renovation as part of the post-Covid-19 economic recovery. They believe that giving priority to social housing will make it possible to combat energy poverty.
Nicolas Schmit very supportive
During a debate in plenary session on Wednesday 20 January, the Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, fully supported this approach. “I very much share the objective of tackling homelessness and of supporting access to decent and affordable housing as a key factor in fighting poverty and social exclusion”, he said.
For the Commissioner, this includes fighting rent inflation, energy poverty, and improving data collection on homelessness. He indicated that the action plan on the implementation of the European pillar of social rights will focus on this issue by building on its 19th priority dedicated to housing and support for the homeless.
Homelessness is one of the social priorities of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU, which will organise a high-level conference on the issue in June and intends to launch a European platform to combat this phenomenon (see EUROPE 12616/19). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)