EFA Launches Housing Campaign “No Place Like Home”
The European Free Alliance (EFA) group in the European Parliament will launch a new campaign on housing rights tomorrow with a conference in Brussels, bringing together political leaders, local authorities, and civil society to address the growing housing crisis from a territorial and social justice perspective.
Taking place on 12th June, the event will feature three focused roundtables exploring how the housing crisis is affecting communities across Europe, particularly in rural, island, and minority regions, and what political responses are needed to ensure housing remains a right, not a privilege.
The first panel will centre on civil society and social justice, with contributions from NGOs, experts, and grassroots housing activists. A second roundtable will examine the impact of mass tourism, short-term rentals, and depopulation on rural and island territories, where housing stock is increasingly being diverted away from residents and towards profit-driven models. The third session will highlight political leadership and local solutions, featuring mayors and elected officials taking concrete action on the ground.
EFA argues that the European housing crisis cannot be tackled with a one-size-fits-all approach, as regional disparities continue to widen. In tourist-heavy areas and coastal regions, residents are being priced out of their own villages. In remote rural communities, housing shortages and lack of services are accelerating demographic decline, housing justice and territorial justice go hand in hand.
Diana Riba I Giner, EFA Group President:
“Europe must move quickly to address the housing crisis, one of the most pressing issues for our people. Housing is a right, not a business. We must stop speculation and limit foreign investment in residential property, which is driving up prices and displacing local communities. European institutions must act, for example by enabling Member States and also regions to set quotas for non-resident buyers and by supporting public housing projects through EU funds. Everyone deserves access to affordable and decent housing.”
Vicent Marzà, Vice-President of the Housing Committee and EFA MEP:
“This housing emergency hasn’t appeared out of nowhere; it’s been created by speculative investment, driven by a few whose obsession with skyrocketing returns has turned housing into a crooked European monopoly game. That’s why the EU must act now: by legislating against speculation and defending housing as a right for all. This means attaching strong social and environmental conditions to European funds, empowering cities and regions to regulate abusive short-term rentals, and imposing clear fiscal limits on financial actors that treat housing as just another commodity. Affordability must be at the heart of EU action — not the sale of our land and housing stock to foreign speculators. Housing is not a market niche; it’s a fundamental right and a cornerstone of social cohesion and territorial justice"
Ana Miranda, EFA MEP:
“The lack of affordable and decent housing in Galicia, rising rental prices, and the impact of tourist accommodation are some of the key issues that will be addressed over this campaign. We need to bring the diverse voices of people on housing to Brussels, because this is one of their main concerns. Ensuring access to decent and affordable housing is a top priority for EFA. It is essential that our countries receive dedicated housing funds in the next EU budget period, and for that to happen, we must first acknowledge that housing is one of our countries' most pressing challenges”
