This project addresses the escalating housing crisis across the European Union, characterised by soaring prices, limited supply, and deepening socio-economic inequalities. It aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted challenges in accessing affordable, decent, and sustainable housing for all population groups. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining extensive AI-driven desk research and literature review of academic, grey, and legal sources. We integrate multisource quantitative data analysis from Eurostat, OECD, and national statistical institutes to map housing needs and disparities. Furthermore, we conduct semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders across EU institutions and civil society, complemented by illustrative good practice case studies from diverse European contexts. A gender mainstreaming approach is embedded throughout the methodology, ensuring an intersectional analysis of housing challenges.
The study delivers an up-to-date understanding of housing definitions and maps current needs across territories and demographic groups. It identifies and analyses the primary factors impacting both housing demand and supply within the EU. The project assesses the profound social and economic impacts of housing scarcity on inequalities, affordability, demography, poverty, and social exclusion. It also provides a critical overview of relevant EU legislation and its transposition into national policies, highlighting successes, challenges, and unforeseen consequences, culminating in evidence-based recommendations for policymakers.