The European Commission has presented a proposal for an Affordable Housing Act together with a recommendation aimed at helping national, regional and local authorities respond to worsening housing affordability and availability.
The measures focus particularly on areas facing the greatest pressure, where the shortage of affordable homes has become an increasingly urgent concern for residents and local governments.
According to Eurobarometer data cited by the Commission, 51 percent of Europeans living in cities consider housing an immediate and urgent problem in the place where they live.
The proposed framework is intended to give public authorities greater legal certainty when taking action based on local housing conditions while remaining within EU law.
The initiative reflects the Commission's effort to give cities and Member States additional tools to address housing used for purposes other than primary residence and other pressures affecting the supply of homes.
The proposal and accompanying recommendation were presented on September 9 as part of the EU's broader response to Europe's housing affordability challenge.