FoCC Co-Hosts European Parliament Panel on Housing Policies and Families in Europe
FoCC co-organised a panel at the European Parliament on housing policies and families in Europe, alongside ELFAC, the EP Demography Intergroup, and the European Network of Family Friendly Municipalities.
On 9 September, the Future of Cities Coalition co-organised a panel at the European Parliament on housing policies and families in Europe, alongside ELFAC, the EP Demography Intergroup, and the European Network of Family Friendly Municipalities. The discussion examined the EU's newly-presented Affordable Housing Act and whether it adequately addresses the needs of families with children, a group that faces high poverty risk but remains largely absent from national and EU support schemes.
Speakers highlighted municipal solutions already in place, from below-market rental stock to mortgage guarantees for larger families, and discussed the role short-term rentals play in giving families the space and flexibility they need to travel together. Moreover, data was presented illustrating that in cities such as Barcelona, when short-term rentals were restricted, affordability was not increased.
As FoCC Chairwoman Josianne Cutajar stated, “The Future of Cities Coalition will continue working towards creating spaces to discuss housing and families, while recognising that a family-friendly city also depends on mobility, services, public spaces, resilience, and sustainability.”
Raul Sanchez, Secretary General of ELFAC, added that "We cannot overlook the family perspective when tackling the housing problem in Europe, which is closely linked to the serious birth rate crisis we are facing."
The panel also featured input from the Commission's Housing Task Force on the Affordable Housing Act itself, offering a timely and well-attended contribution to the ongoing housing debate in Brussels.
