Housing Homes for people, not greedy corporations

Today, MEPs will vote on the European Parliament’s report on the Housing Crisis in the European Union.

MEP Maria Ohisalo, Greens/EFA shadow on the Housing Report, comments:

“We have been calling since the beginning for a fair but ambitious report providing solutions to the challenges citizens are facing with housing. The Greens/EFA Group believes that housing is a cornerstone of human dignity and that the housing crisis can be tackled by putting an end to housing speculation, stopping short-term rentals from pushing up rent, and investing in public, green, safe and affordable housing.

“Yet this report fails to address the root causes of the housing crisis and to reflect the real issues citizens face in finding decent and affordable homes across the EU. This is an EPP-led report which uses it to pledge its continuing support for greedy landlords, Airbnb tycoons and housing speculators. The conservatives have once again teamed up with the far-right to push an agenda that benefits the rich and does nothing to help those struggling to find an affordable home.

“The report fails to even reach the relatively low ambition level of the Commission’s Affordable Housing Plan and does not even aim at eradicating homelessness by 2030, something the Commission is still calling for and that the Parliament had aimed for in the past.The report also makes no reference to the proliferation of short-term rentals. While our cities become increasingly unaffordable for residents, apartments are turned into Airbnbs and neighbours are kicked out, the EPP looks the other way and ensures that the businesses who have been profiting off the housing crisis keep lining their pockets.”

Read more: Green/EFA solutions for tackling the housing crisis- homes for people not for profit