Victor Negrescu, Vice-President of the European Parliament, is calling for the housing crisis to become a priority in the EU’s next long-term budget for the period 2028–2034.
25 billion euros for decent, sustainable, and affordable housing
The European Commission has proposed a long-term budget for the period 2028–2034, which includes a European Plan for Affordable Housing that aims to incorporate social housing policies into the national and regional plans of member states.
The European Parliament has adopted a report highlighting that current budgetary instruments are not sufficient to address the scale of the housing crisis.
Victor Negrescu has put forward concrete solutions to ensure that European citizens have access to decent housing at an affordable price.
The Vice-President of the European Parliament, together with the European Social Democrats, tabled an amendment calling for the future long-term budget to earmark €25 billion for the construction and renovation of affordable housing, to address this social challenge.
“We must ensure that all these demands are turned into concrete solutions so that European citizens have access to decent housing at an affordable price,” Victor Negrescu emphasized.
The MEP points out that housing prices across Europe have risen by an average of 50% from 2010 to the present.
“The housing crisis is one of the greatest social challenges in Europe today. For millions of Europeans, access to decent housing is becoming increasingly difficult. For many families, and especially for young people, rent or mortgage payments are placing an ever-greater strain on their incomes,” Victor Negrescu noted.
The housing crisis must be treated as a matter of serious concern
According to the Vice-President of the European Parliament, the housing crisis should be addressed with the same level of urgency and ambition as other major European challenges, given its direct impact on quality of life, social inclusion and economic prospects.
Thus, in addition to allocating European funds for the construction and renovation of affordable housing, Victor Negrescu advocates for greater transparency in the housing market and measures aimed at limiting real estate speculative practices, thereby improving access to housing for citizens.
“A social Europe also means the real right to decent housing,” Victor Negrescu added.
