The housing crisis is hitting European cities hard, squeezing urban residents and poorer households with skyrocketing rents and unaffordable mortgages. It’s an issue that’s no longer confined to the poor—it’s creeping into the middle class, making home ownership a distant dream for many. With EU elections looming, political families across the spectrum are trying to address this pressing issue. But what if the solution to this crisis lies closer to home in the hands of our mayors?
Understanding the local housing crisis
Let’s look at the numbers. Since 2014, house prices and rents across Europe have been climbing steadily. According to Eurostat, house prices in the EU increased by 30.9 percent and rents by 17.6 percent from 2010 to 2021. This trend didn’t even pause for the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, demand for housing surged during lockdowns as people sought more comfortable living space.
The rising costs are hitting younger people particularly hard. A 2021 Eurofound survey revealed that 64 percent of young Europeans aged 18-29 live with their parents, up from 56 percent a decade earlier. They’re more likely to rent rather than own homes, and many are discouraged from moving to areas with better job opportunities because they simply can’t afford to live there.
Successful strategies from European mayors
So, what are some mayors doing about it? Let’s take a closer look.
Ada Colau, Barcelona
Veteran housing activist Ada Colau became the first female mayor of Barcelona in 2015. Rising to prominence by protesting against evictions after the 2008 financial crisis, Colau was elected on a manifesto focusing on re-establishing housing as a basic right.
At the time of her election, Barcelona had just 7,500 public-housing units. Colau’s ambitious 10-year Right to Housing Plan aims to double that number to 15,000 by 2025. As of December 2023, there were over 12,300 social homes in the city. Her measures included buying private residential blocks and converting them to council homes, seizing vacant apartments, and requiring developers to allocate 30 percent of new apartment blocks for social housing.
Colau has also been a vocal opponent of the impact of Airbnb and similar platforms on the housing market. Barcelona has introduced strict regulations, including limiting the number of licences for tourist apartments and imposing heavy fines on illegal rentals.
Anne Hidalgo, Paris
Hidalgo has made affordable housing a cornerstone of her administration. Paris has transformed office buildings into residential units and implemented rent control measures. Her administration aims to increase the city’s stock of social housing by 30 percent by 2030. According to the Paris City Hall, over 7,000 new social housing units were created between 2014 and 2020.
To address housing shortages exacerbated by short-term tourist rentals like Airbnb, Hidalgo implemented strict regulations. Paris now limits the number of days a property can be rented out to 120 days per year and imposes fines on non-compliant listings.
Hidalgo was awarded the 2023 ULI Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development for her efforts in creating a more inclusive and sustainable Paris. Under her leadership, Paris has reduced its carbon emissions by 40 percent over the past decade and significantly increased affordable housing. But her numerous traffic restrictions have infuriated motorists and drawn accusations of discrimination against suburban commuters who drive to work in the capital.
Sadiq Khan, London
Khan’s strategy focuses on launching the “greatest council homebuilding drive in a generation.” As he launched his campaign for a third term, Khan pledged to deliver at least 40,000 new council homes by the end of the decade. This is double the target he set between 2018 and 2024, during which work started on 23,000 homes. London currently has more than 300,000 households on social housing waiting lists, and rough sleeping has increased by 50 percent in the past decade. Despite criticisms of not meeting the London Plan’s target of 52,000 homes a year, affordable housing in the capital has seen a significant increase, from around 7,500 new units per year in 2016-17 to 25,000 in 2022-23.
London has also seen measures to regulate short-term rentals. Hosts must register their property with the city, and rentals are limited to 90 days per year unless they obtain planning permission for longer periods.
Michael Ludwig, Vienna
Michael Ludwig, mayor of Vienna since May 2018, has a long history of involvement in housing policy. Before becoming mayor, he served as City Councillor for Housing, Construction, and Urban Renewal. Under his leadership, Vienna continues to excel in providing high-quality social housing. The city allocates around €600 million annually to maintain and develop social housing. As of 2020, Vienna had about 220,000 municipal housing units, accommodating roughly 25 percent of the city’s population.
José Luis Martínez-Almeida, Madrid
Martínez-Almeida, a conservative mayor of Madrid, has focused on leveraging private sector involvement to address the housing crisis. His administration has introduced policies to incentivise the private development of affordable housing through tax breaks and reduced bureaucracy. Martínez-Almeida has also promoted the sale of public land to private developers with the condition that a portion of the units be allocated to affordable housing. Additionally, Madrid has invested in upgrading transportation infrastructure to make more suburban areas attractive for residential development.
EU political families: learning from local campaigns
What’s been the success of these mayors? On top of delivering on their campaigns goals, their communicative strategies have been top-notch. They have used town halls, social media, and grassroots movements to gather support and feedback. Hidalgo’s public forums, Khan’s social media outreach, and Colau’s activist engagements are great examples of how to involve the community in policy-making.
EU political families can take valuable lessons from these localised approaches. By integrating local solutions into national and EU-wide campaigns, political parties can create more cohesive and relatable political strategies. Here’s how they can learn and localise these approaches.
- Emphasising community engagement: Local campaigns benefit from strong community engagement. Mayors like Ada Colau and Anne Hidalgo have involved residents in policy development through public forums and grassroots movements.
- Creating tailored housing solutions: Different cities face unique housing challenges. EU political families should advocate for tailored solutions that address local needs.
- Promoting sustainable development: Many successful mayors incorporate sustainability into their housing policies. Michael Ludwig’s efforts in Vienna to achieve climate neutrality by 2040 provide a model. EU political families can emphasise green building practices and sustainable development.
- Leveraging technology and innovation: Mayors like Ludwig have positioned their cities as leaders in technological advancement. EU political families can advocate for using innovative technologies in housing development and urban planning to enhance efficiency and sustainability.
- Communicating success stories: Highlighting local housing initiatives can build trust and support for broader campaigns. EU political families can use the achievements of mayors like Hidalgo and Colau to demonstrate policy effectiveness and inspire voter confidence.
