European Mayors Urge EU Action as Housing Costs Surge Across Major Cities

European Mayors Urge EU Action as Housing Costs Surge Across Major Cities
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The mayor of Barcelona has warned that soaring housing costs amount to a “new pandemic” spreading across Europe, as city leaders called on the European Union to mobilise major funding to address the crisis, The Guardian reported. Jaume Collboni, speaking on behalf of the Mayors for Housing alliance, said rising property prices and rents now represent an unprecedented internal challenge for the EU.

The alliance, launched last year and comprising 17 mayors representing more than 20 million residents, has urged European institutions to respond with extraordinary financial measures similar to those adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic. The group is calling for the creation of an EU-wide affordable housing fund, potentially modelled on the NextGenerationEU programme, to help generate at least €300 billion annually in public and private investment for social and affordable housing.

The mayors are also seeking a formal role in EU decision-making, arguing that local authorities are on the frontline of the crisis. According to Eurostat, house prices across the EU rose by 48% between 2010 and 2023, while rents increased by 22%. By 2023, nearly 10% of Europeans were spending at least 40% of their disposable income on housing.

Collboni warned that failure to act could deepen inequality, weaken social cohesion, and undermine confidence in democratic institutions. He argued that ensuring access to affordable housing is essential to preserving living standards and countering political instability across the bloc.