Council adopts EU recommendation on housing exclusion and homelessness

EU countries have adopted a recommendation on addressing housing exclusion and homelessness, with the Council calling for a broader and more coordinated response across member states. The measure was adopted today and is aimed at ensuring that people in vulnerable situations have a place to call home.

The Council said the recommendation combines emergency support with longer-term solutions. It sets out a comprehensive range of measures intended to prevent homelessness, support people without housing, and improve access to adequate and secure homes.

The recommendation urges EU countries to use a person-centred, housing-led approach to social exclusion. That approach includes strengthening tools to identify people at risk of homelessness, simplifying access to social services, and boosting the supply of affordable and social housing.

The Council said the recommendation is part of the EU's ongoing efforts to address the housing crisis in Europe. It was announced in the context of the European Affordable Housing Plan, which is described as the first comprehensive EU-level strategy supporting member states, regions and cities in dealing with the crisis and its impacts.

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The text defines housing exclusion broadly, covering people experiencing homelessness as well as those living in inadequate or insecure housing conditions. Examples given include housing lacking basic facilities such as flushing toilets, or situations where people face eviction or domestic abuse.

The recommendation calls on EU countries either to adopt strategic frameworks on housing exclusion and homelessness or to strengthen existing ones. It says those frameworks should include relevant, time-bound, achievable and measurable objectives, and be based on person-centred, housing-led policies.

The Council also sets out early detection measures, including early warning systems for households at risk. It calls for targeted interventions such as debt counselling, safeguards against forced eviction, emergency rental assistance and mediation, and says no child should be deprived of adequate housing.

It also says children and young people leaving institutional or foster care should have access to housing and support. For people already experiencing homelessness or housing exclusion, the recommendation supports simplified access to services through a one-stop shop for referrals to social security, social assistance, and social and health services.

It also calls for tailored support plans based on individual assessments, delivered with multidisciplinary community outreach teams including health and care professionals, social workers and food banks. The recommendation further says a lack of social and affordable housing is a major driver of exclusion and homelessness in the EU.

It encourages public and private investment in new and renovated homes, better use of existing housing stock, and support for alternative and non-profit housing models. Member states are to update the Commission every five years on the effectiveness of their strategies, after which the Commission will review progress and report back to the Council.

The source says homelessness is the most extreme and visible manifestation of poverty and social exclusion, and is estimated to affect more than one million people across the EU. It also says house prices in nominal terms rose by more than 60% across the EU between 2013 and 2024, with some member states seeing average increases of more than 220%.

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