In the context of the elections for the presidency of the European Commission, housing has emerged as a crucial issue. Ursula Von Der Leyen, the current president of the Commission upon her re-election, proposed the creation of a commissioner post specifically to deal with the housing crisis, highlighting her plan to launch an affordable housing initiative at the European level.
During her speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Ms. Von der Leyen stressed the importance of addressing the urgent problem faced by millions of families and young people due to a lack of affordable housing. Her strategy will include the appointment of a commissioner to lead efforts to tackle the structural causes of the crisis and encourage investment in new housing construction.
The European Affordable Housing Plan, according to Ms von der Leyen, will benefit from collaboration with the European Investment Bank to leverage significant investment in the sector, promoting housing projects that are not only affordable but also sustainable. She also outlined plans to enable member states to expand their housing investments by relaxing certain cohesion policies and adjusting state aid regulations, with a particular emphasis on low-energy housing.