EU housing roadmap exposes split among Irish MEPs

The European Parliament has adopted its first roadmap to tackle Europe’s worsening housing crisis, but the proposals have already exposed sharp divisions among Irish MEPs over how the problem should be addressed.

The report was approved in Strasbourg on Tuesday, February 10, by 367 votes in favour, 166 against and 84 abstentions after months of negotiations inside the Parliament’s Special Committee on the Housing Crisis.

Irish MEP Regina Doherty, who served as vice chair of the European Parliament Housing committee, said there is growing consensus across Europe that housing supply must increase.

“Across Europe we are simply not building enough homes,” she said.

“Planning systems are too slow, rules are often overly complex, and developers face barriers accessing finance.

“If we want to tackle the housing crisis, we have to make it easier to build.”

Doherty said the pressures facing Dublin reflect a wider European trend.

“In Dublin and across Ireland we see every day how difficult it has become for young people to find somewhere they can afford to live,” she said.

“Young people who work hard simply want the chance to afford a home of their own, but for many that is becoming increasingly out of reach.

“The housing crisis is shaping the lives of a generation, and the pressures we see in Dublin are increasingly shared across cities throughout Europe.”

Labour MEP for Dublin Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, who led negotiations for the Socialists & Democrats Group, also welcomed the report and said the debate must focus on the human impact of the crisis.

Speaking from Strasbourg, he described the situation facing a newborn child currently experiencing homelessness.

“Today in the European Parliament I spoke about baby Declan* (named changed to protect identity).

“He is sleeping in a cot beside my own daughter Róisín in hospital.

“In many ways Declan is similar to Róisín, but unlike her, Declan has been born into homelessness and will begin his life in emergency accommodation.

“He is one of 4,000 homeless children in Dublin and nearly 400,000 across Europe.

“These figures should shame us and they demand action at every level, local, national and European.”

Ó Ríordáin said the report marks a turning point in recognising that housing affordability and homelessness require coordinated action.

“For too long people were told the European Union could not, and should not, act on housing. Today we have proven that wrong,” he said.

“During the election campaign I promised that Labour would fight to put the housing crisis in Dublin on the EU agenda, and thanks to our work in the S&D Group, we have delivered the first ever EU housing report.”

However, Sinn Féin MEPs Kathleen Funchion and Lynn Boylan strongly criticised the report and voted against it.

Speaking from Strasbourg, Kathleen Funchion said the proposals fail to address the root causes of the crisis.

“The report of the Housing Committee falls far short of offering genuine solutions to the housing crisis, and this is why we will be voting against it this morning,” she said.

“The report calls for cutting regulation, lowering taxes for construction, and supporting the private sector in a vain attempt to build our way out of the housing crisis.

“This is a similar to the approach taken by successive Irish governments that has thus far only exacerbated the crisis and lined the pockets of developers and institutional landlords.”

Lynn Boylan also warned that speeding up planning procedures could create risks.

“The push for deregulation and to speed housing through planning processes with weaker checks leaves us not only at risk of severely undermined climate and environmental goals, but also of having a repeat of the defective blocks scandal on a much larger scale,” she said.

“This is little more than a love letter to the construction industry, which has had a heavy hand in authoring this report with two thirds of the companies on the author’s transparency register coming from the sector.”

She added that housing policy should remain primarily a national responsibility.

“The best approach the EU could take is to step back from housing, recognise it as a national issue, and remove EU level rules that interfere with public investment in housing and tackling short term lets rather than once again supporting developers and landowners.”

The report sets out proposals aimed at increasing housing supply, improving affordability and strengthening tenant protections across the European Union, as lawmakers warn that millions of Europeans are struggling to find secure and affordable homes.

MEPs said the crisis is affecting people in every member state, with rising rents, housing shortages and homelessness creating one of the most pressing social challenges facing Europe.

Among the key proposals is a call for the European Commission’s upcoming Affordable Housing Plan to dedicate funding specifically for housing renovation projects to improve energy efficiency and tackle energy poverty.

MEPs also said newly built homes should meet stronger standards for insulation, energy efficiency and indoor air quality. The report also addresses the impact of short term rental platforms on housing supply in major cities. MEPs called for EU legislation that balances tourism with the need to protect access to long term housing. Under the proposals, member states, regions and local authorities would retain flexibility to introduce measures suited to their own housing markets.

MEPs also said cities should ensure an adequate share of public and social housing to increase access to affordable homes for vulnerable groups.

The report condemns squatting, described as the illegal occupation of homes, and calls for stronger measures to protect property owners.

At the same time it urges member states to strengthen tenant protections to ensure fair rental conditions and prevent disproportionate rent increases.

Lawmakers also proposed tax measures aimed at supporting low and middle income households and removing barriers faced by first time buyers.

These include removing tax obstacles such as high registration fees that can make it difficult for people to enter the housing market.

The report also calls for better coordination of existing EU funding streams, including the possible use of unused Recovery and Resilience Plan resources to support the construction and renovation of social and affordable housing.

Another focus is the need to speed up planning procedures that often delay housing construction across Europe.

MEPs are urging the European Commission to introduce a housing simplification package designed to cut bureaucracy and accelerate projects.

Among the proposals are simplified permitting procedures, digital planning systems and a target deadline of 60 days for granting permits.

Rapporteur for the report Borja Giménez Larraz (pictured above) said the crisis is shaping the lives of an entire generation.

“A generation that cannot afford a home cannot build a future,” he said.

“Europe is short 10 million homes, rents are up by more than 30%, and young people and families are paying the price.

“For the first time ever, the European Parliament is setting out a roadmap: a housing simplification package, faster permits in 60 days, investment in skills, legal certainty and protection for property owners and tenants, the mobilisation of private and public investment, and stronger support for young people, families and people with disabilities.

“No more excuses. Member states must now deliver.”

Chair of the Housing Committee Irene Tinagli (pictured above) said the scale of the crisis has become impossible to ignore: “The housing crisis has far reaching consequences for the quality of life of Europeans, impacting people’s health, social cohesion, and access to economic opportunities.

“EU action is essential to restore balance and fairness in the housing market, because everyone deserves a place to call home.”