At a European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) event, which brings together trade union leaders and researchers to address key social challenges, Housing Europe’s Secretary-General, Sorcha Edwards joined voices from the housing and labour sectors to assess Europe’s response to the housing crisis.
As the nature of public, cooperative, and social housing can often be misunderstood, she insisted that the sector is far from small and has significant aggregating power–an important point for channeling investment from the European Investment Bank and other financial institutions.
Stressing the construction sector’s critical role, she highlighted the need to deliver housing differently—prioritising climate neutrality, greenfield developments, and circularity. “Conditionality in structural funding is vital to ensure these resources are used effectively,” Sorcha also emphasised.
We heard proposals for stronger rules against speculation, investments in skills for deep renovations, and increased public service funding. With the EU Affordable Housing Plan on the horizon, the event raised a vital question: Is Europe finally seriously gearing up to deliver affordable, sustainable homes while meeting its climate ambitions?