The public consultation aims to gather views from European Union (EU) citizens, businesses, public authorities, civil society and other stakeholders on housing, in order to contribute to the development of the European plan for affordable housing and to combat the housing crisis, according to a statement from the EU executive.

This first call for submissions will run until 4 June and will be followed by a second, more detailed public consultation from June to October.

Throughout 2025, the European Commission intends to organise a dialogue on affordable housing in order to address a problem that affects millions of Europeans.

Rising house prices and rents, rising utility costs and renovations are putting pressure on a growing number of families, especially in large cities, tourist destinations and other areas with high housing demand.

According to data from Brussels, house prices, adjusted for inflation, have risen by more than 20% since 2015 and rents in major EU cities have risen by an average of 48% for a one-bedroom apartment between 2014 and 2023.

The housing crisis led the leader of the community executive to create a portfolio that includes the Energy and Housing sectors.

Improving housing affordability is a political priority for the European Commission, which now has a housing commissioner for the first time, Dan Jorgensen from Denmark.

The European Parliament also set up, in the current legislature, a special committee on the housing crisis, which includes MEPs Isilda Gomes (PS) and Sebastião Bugalho (PSD).