Housing Europe: Reducing the budget of cohesion policy is a risk we cannot afford to take!
We need to ensure that the EU acts where it can have the highest impact in assisting and inspiring regions to future-proof welfare systems, protect citizens from the negative impact of globalisation and climate change.
EU funding is proving to be a lever for additional public and private investment in people-centred housing. Between 2014-2020, more than €6 billion of European Structural Funds have been allocated to improve homes via energy efficiency and age adaptation and other measures for nearly 1 million households.
The European Commission announced on 2 May a reduction of about 7% of the budget of cohesion policy. If this reduction is applied to the housing budget line, it would mean a reduction of €420 million, impacting around 100,000 households.
Cedric Van Styvendael, President of Housing Europe stresses: “At a time when poverty is rising and public services are challenged, people need better housing conditions. It would be a negative signal from the EU, if regions or cities that currently benefit from EU support for better housing and more sustainable neighbourhoods were denied access to it from 2021. Indeed, this is not only about investment in housing, but also local and fair growth. This is what is at stake.”
People-centred housing policies help manage demographic change, reduce inequalities and health costs, facilitate integration and sustainable urbanisation, catalyse transition to energy efficient & circular economy. The Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) and in particular cohesion policy already levers investment in this direction. Housing Europe hopes that the detailed proposal on 29 May on cohesion policy for the post-2020 period reinforces and boosts progress made. The European cohesion is at stake…
