The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyenannounced on Thursday in Strasbourg (France) that it will appoint a European commissioner whose responsibilities will include addressing the housing crisis and the first ‘European Plan for Affordable Housing’, during her speech before being re-elected for a second term by the European Parliament.

As part of her political guidelines for the next European Commission (2024-2029), published today, the President assured that the European Union must “urgently address the housing crisis” affecting “millions of families and young people”, despite the fact that it has no authority over these policies.

The European housing plan and the portfolio entrusted to a European commissioner “will address structural factors, develop a strategy for housing construction, offer technical assistance to cities and Member States and focus on investment.” To this end, the new Commission said, will work with the European Investment Bank (EIB) in a “pan-European investment” for affordable and sustainable housing in order to attract more public and private investment. “The percentage of household income spent on housing has increased dramatically. Rents and housing prices are skyrocketing“, the president assured the chamber.

And he continued: “There is a significant and growing deficit of investment in social and affordable housing.” As a first step, the German proposed injecting liquidity into the market The European Commission has also called for the creation of a new European Union (EU) framework, which will allow EU countries to double their planned cohesion policy investments in affordable housing, as well as to review state aid rules to support housing, in particular for low-energy social housing. The European Commission has also called for the implementation of the Social Climate Fund – the European instrument to guarantee a fair energy transition – to help with the “renovation and access” to this type of affordable and sustainable housing. The Commission has also mentioned the launch of the New European Bauhaus, the Commission’s programme to connect the Green Deal with the daily lives of Europeans, and has stated its intention to strengthen this community, the guidelines point out.

New Commissioner for the Mediterranean

The President of the European Commission has also promised to create a new Mediterranean portfolioswhich would be added, together with the Housing Department, to the new position responsible for Defense which he had already announced during the campaign, if the MEPs support his renewal at the head of the Community Executive in a vote that will take place at midday. “The Mediterranean region should attract all our attention“, Von der Leyen warned MEPs, after noting the need to find a “common approach” to the deportation of irregular migrants so that they are “more effective and dignified” but also to strengthen agreements with third countries.

For this reason, he announced that his programme includes the creation of a commissioner for the Mediterranean region who will work in coordination with the High Representative for Foreign Policy of the EU, Kaja KallasThe aim, according to the document with the guidelines for Von der Leyen’s next term, is to address plans ranging from investment, association and economic stability and job creation in the region to energy, security or migration “while respecting the values ​​and principles of the EU.”