“Housing that stands the test of time requires long-term investment,” Housing Europe highlights

Speaking at ESPON’s Unlocking Territorial Potentials event on 20 November, Housing Europe’s Research Director, Alice Pittini, stressed that policies must shift from short-term fixes to ensuring lasting housing affordability. She was joined by Franziska Sielker from TU Wien, leading our ESPON H4ALL project, and Stefan Zeugner from DG ECFIN.

While Austria, Denmark, and the Netherlands offer resilient social housing models, many Eastern, Central, and Southern European countries have prioritised ownership. Historically, governments have focused on helping citizens cope with high prices instead of investing in long-term affordable solutions.

Looking at how the debate has evolved, short-term lets—absent from discussions a decade ago—are now a growing concern, alongside stronger links between housing and social policies. Homelessness strategies increasingly adopt a housing-led approach.

Watch the full session “Understanding key drivers and policy solutions for housing affordability” via this link.