Affordable Housing in the EU

As part of the ‘At home in Mainz’ project, the municipal housing association Wohnbau Mainz offers people not just a home, but a life in community. The ‘At home in Mainz’ project combines affordable, accessible housingwith social commitment and a cross-generational neighborhood. It stands for inclusion in practice, strengthens the sense of community in the neighborhood and has a positive impact on the district beyond the housing community

In Germany the state governments have been afforded the opportunity to define areas with a strained housing market. Tougher rental law regulations apply within these areas (such as the rent brake). Additional areas can be designated, in which municipalities can apply stricter measures from the Federal Building Code to maintain and create more affordable housing. In areas where the instruments are already being used, they effectively counter displacement and are strengthening municipalities in their role as key players in housing provision

Vienna has built and maintained a large, high-quality stock of municipal and limited-profit housing that provides affordable housing for broad sections of the population. By combining direct ownership, partnerships with limited-profit developers, and strict regulation of the land market, Vienna has effectively decommodified housing and secured it as a form of social infrastructure. This guarantees affordability, security, and social mix even under conditions of rising real estate speculation across Europe.

Denmark’s private non-profit housing model is designed to provide long-term affordability and social stability. Housing associations operate as self-governed entities, ensuring that surpluses are reinvested into maintenance and new developments rather than distributed as profit. A crucial component of this system is the National Building Fund (Landsbyggefonden), which secures financial support for renovations and new housing projects, contributing to the model’s sustainability over time.

The enforceable right to housing (DALO) offers households in France a last resort when they face serious housing difficulties. It places an obligation on the State to achieve results and a responsibility to house eligible households as a matter of priority and urgency. While the State is solely responsible for this right, local authorities and social landlords are obliged to contribute to its implementation through the housing stock for which they are responsible. In the event of non-compliance, the State can be ordered to pay fines to a housing fund and to compensate the households concerned. 

In Rome the Porto Fluviale project successfully transformed a former military construction, occupied by 54 families belonging to the housing struggle movement, through a collaborative process with the squatters, universities, public institutions and local actors. The project highlights a replicable model of urban regeneration and social inclusion, capable of valorising abandoned heritage and strengthening the cohesion of combative communities against the gentrification process. 

Housing First is one of the key services that ensures housing as a human right and provides the tools for ending long-term homelessness. The experience of this concept in Riga reveals both the socio-political challenges and opportunities of committing to ending homelessness through housing and social service policies. Sourcing housing demands not only a significant amount of flexibility, but also political support for non-profit developers, rental agencies, and municipal housing units.

After 1989 in Poland it was assumed that the free market would meet the housing needs of Poles based on mortgage credit. In the long term, however, this has led to declining housing availability and reduced quality and size. Krzysztof Kukucki initiated the ‘Włocławek Apartments’ project, which aimed to increase the availability of affordable housing for residents.

Bizigune is a government-led initiative that transforms vacant homes into social rental housing in the Basque Autonomous Region, Spain. The program secures long-term leases from private property owners at below-market rates and then rents these units to individuals seeking affordable housing. This approach benefits all stakeholders. 

Over the past decade the province of British Columbia in Canada has increased social housing to help those most in need. Its land treaties with Indigenous people have led to innovative developments from First Nations. Measures to curb land and housing speculation have increased revenues but have not yet led to lower prices.