From Lisbon to Amsterdam, housing policy has led to haves and have-nots. But, as our new series uncovers, it doesn’t have to be this way
H
ousing is as personal an issue as it gets. Homes are where we take refuge from the outside world, express ourselves, build relationships and families. To buy or rent a house is to project your aspirations and dreams on to bricks and mortar – can we see ourselves sitting outside in the sunshine on that patio? It can also be a deeply frustrating process – can we afford that house? For more and more of us, the answer is no.
Experienced at such an individual level, it’s easy to think that rising costs are a problem particular to your community, city or country. But unaffordable house prices and rents are a continent-wide issue. According to the European Parliament, from 2015 to 2023, in absolute terms, house prices in the EU rose by just under 50% on average. From 2010 to 2022, rents rose by 18%.
As an editor, I wanted to know some of the stories behind these stats and, as a person who lives in a very expensive city (hello from London!), hear some solutions. I commissioned a range of housing experts to contribute to a series, The housing crisis in Europe, describing what the situation looks like in some of Europe’s most expensive cities.
