Collboni and one other 14 European mayors want the EU to create a housing fund that mobilizes 300,000 million euros per 12 months | Economy | EUROtoday

The mayor of Barcelona, ​​the socialist Jaume Collboni, accompanied by the councilors of different cities which might be a part of the alliance Mayors for Housing (Mayors for the Housing), have urged the European Union to advertise the creation of a housing fund that mobilizes 300,000 million euros per 12 months of private and non-private financing. The representatives of 15 of the most important cities in Europe, which embrace Paris, Rome, Amsterdam and Warsaw, have urged the neighborhood government to be destined for the housing emergency not executed from the cash of the restoration funds by the pandemic, the Next Generation.

In an look after a gathering with the vp of the Commission, Teresa Ribera, and the Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jorgensen, Collboni has careworn that within the 15 cities of this Network of Mayors, within the final 10 years, the value of housing has risen by common by 60%, whereas the rental has shot 78%. Local governments have claimed to actively take part within the European reasonably priced housing plan through which the fee is working, and is predicted for 2026. “That plan puts on the table what is now the main source of inequalities in European cities: housing prices,” mentioned the socialist mayor.

“The data are spooky from the point of view of the scarcity of housing in the large European cities, of the price increases that have been in recent years and in the little reaction capacity that has been by the administrations,” Collboni developed, which has regretted that the cities didn’t have the funds to provide the primary response. “Today I think we can say without exaggeration that the Commission already has a first proposal of a housing emergency plan for all of Europe at the proposal of the Network Mayors for Housing“He added.

His Roman counterpart, Roberto Gualtieri, stressed that the priority is “to establish an emergency financial line to allow cities to quickly develop social and affordable housing projects.” As Gualtieri said, all housing market segments are tension – also for young people, students, middle class – but it is urgent to offer social public housing “to the most vulnerable part of the population.”

The Housing Plan for Support Plan that they propose to create to offer solutions to all segments must be composed of several sources of financing, from their point of view: subsidies, loans, private money, money from the cities, and states. “We believe that the EU should contribute specific financial support that includes a subsidy component, so that cities can quickly implement those needs,” said Gualtieri.

Before a crisis of great magnitude and with limited solutions, the mayor seek any possible source of financing. In addition to the recovery funds mentioned by Collboni, the mayor of the Italian capital has advocated to reform the norms on state aid to allow greater public investment in social and affordable housing. It has also suggested that the exhaust clause within the framework of the stability pact that more than one fortnight of Member States have requested to activate to increase defense expenditure is also available for housing projects. Other requests have been the definition of a shared indicator about what is “tensioning housing market” to identify in which urban areas this situation is presented, or the short -stay rental regulation.

Vice President Ribera has thanked the contribution of the mayors and explained that the commission is studying how to “combine public and private financing”, to respond not only “to the important demand for social housing, but also to guarantee affordable housing.” “This means that we must launch a process to ensure that, through the guidelines on state aid, we can offer adequate responses to the demands that come not only from cities, but also of national and regional governments.”

Ribera has affirmed that the European Commission is adopting a new and more active approach to the problem of affordable housing, understanding that “accompanying local and national authorities to facilitate access” to this fundamental right. Although it is not reflected in the treaties, the need for a coordinated response becomes urgent in the face of challenges such as the shortage of supply, regulations, affordability, sustainability and “expectations put in certain investments”, not solely by giant firms, but additionally residents.

As the vp has identified, the neighborhood government should act with warning and integral imaginative and prescient, to bear in mind all these features of a fancy subject. This dedication is aligned with the priorities of the mandate of Ursula von der Leyen, the place to ensure entry to housing is a vital a part of European values, the safety and competitiveness of the EU.

Commissioner Jorgensen added that along with finding out EU’s financing potentialities, the fee analyzes what contributions the European Investment Bank (BEI) could make. The head of the working group that may put together the housing plan of the Community Executive has assured that “it is a main priority for this commission to help resolve this crisis.” “We are extremely satisfied that some cities have assumed the responsibility of working together to write qualified reports and concrete advice – even would say demands – for us, because it is necessary,” he mentioned.

Collboni and his counterparts have had an intense agenda this week in Brussels. The Barcelona councilor offered an opinion on Wednesday earlier than the European Committee of the areas through which native governments ask Europe that high quality reasonably priced housing is an express goal within the subsequent EU multiannual finances. After the approval of the opinion within the Plenary, Collboni transferred him to the Special Commission on the Housing Crisis of the European Parliament, earlier than assembly with Ribera, Jorgensen and Raffaele Fitto, vp for cohesion and reforms.

Housing costs within the EU elevated 48% between 2010 and 2023 and leases, 22%. In some nations, corresponding to Estonia, the rise has been 209% and leases have shot 211%. Large cities and vacationer areas are probably the most affected.