Since housing costs represent a major proportion of living costs, the absence of affordable housing has a significant upward impact on the cost of living. These days, the affordability of housing is a major concern for social housing providers and tenants. According to the study on the perceptions of quality of life in 75 European towns, only 27% of respondents stated that it is easy to find decent housing at a reasonable price .
Concerns about ‘affordability’ have arisen in response to a number of recent developments, such as the shift towards more privatised forms of housing provision, sustained house price inflation, the emphasis on home-ownership, and little availability of social housing. Low income groups are increasingly finding themselves priced out of the housing market, and it is essential that the housing market move with the times.

CECODHAS and its members believe that cities must be attractive for everyone; this means that efforts must be made to increase the supply of affordable housing to ensure the social inclusion of low income households. With the current lack of affordable housing for Europe’s workers likely to impact negatively on both economic growth and health and educational standards in the EU-25, CECODHAS believes that more affordable social housing must be provided in Europe’s cities. The housing market can not answer everyone’s needs. CECODHAS members are working to provide affordable housing.

CECODHAS documents and publications on  Affordable Housing:

Affordability of Housing: Overview of Cost of Housing and Housing Programme Instruments in Europe
>Briefing in preparation 

Other suggested reading and links:

Quality of life in Europe (2004) . European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/areas/qualityoflife/eqls/2003/eqls.htm

EU news on affordable housing: 

European Parliament resolution of 10 May 2007 on housing and regional policy
A large majority of MEPs have adopted on May 10th in a plenary session in Brussels the own-initiative report by M. Alfonso Andria on “housing and regional policy”. This report, which is not legally binding, is a major political recognition of the necessity to improve housing conditions as a key element of quality of life in the EU.
>The report is available HERE

CECODHAS Members action on affordability
and best practices from the social housing sector: