Conclusions of the EU Housing Ministers meeting

EU housing ministers held an informal meeting in Brussels on December 10th to chart the main challenges for the future of the housing sector. They agreed investment in housing, particularly in affordable housing, is crucial for the European economy and, therefore, better coordination at EU level is required. They highlighted the role of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in envisaging extended or new mechanisms to provide finance for social and affordable housing, thus echoing the call by CECODHAS Housing Europe to set up a European Housing Fund. This is crucial to fight against homelessness and housing exclusion.  Other demands for the European Commission included a study of the impact of the new banking sector rules (BASEL III) on the sustainable finance of housing policies.