Authors Alice Pittini Laurent Ghekière Julien Dijol Igor Kiss Contributing Author-Editor Michalis Goudis Design Razvan Suciu (www.rzvns.blogspot.ro) Acknowledgments This publication was made possible thanks to the help and expertise provided by Housing Europe’s members www.housingeurope.eu/section-22/our-members We would also like to thank the following experts who have directly contributed to this report through their updates and revisions: József Hegedüs (Metropolitan Research Institute), Ruth Owen (FEANTSA), Artur Polak (Ministry of Infrastructure and Development of Poland), Orna Rosenfeld (UNECE), Christoph Schmid (University of Bremen), Richard Sendi (Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia), Elena Szolgayová (Ministry of Transport, Construction and Regional Development of Slovakia). * While every effort has been made to ensure that the data and other information in this report are accurate, some errors may remain. Housing Europe, the European Federation for Public, Cooperative and Social Housing Brussels, 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Housing Europe profile ........................................................................................................................................... 5 2. Forewords from Marc Calon & Sorcha Edwards ...................................................................................................... 7 2.1. Responsible housing is the key for a better future .................................................................................................... 8 2.2. About this report. The state of housing in the Union 2015: informing policy, inspiring innovation .............................. 10 3. Housing markets and housing conditions in the EU. A cross-country observation .................................................. 13 3.1. Short overview of housing market dynamics ......................................................................................................... 14 3.2. Major gaps and shortfalls identified ....................................................................................................................... 16 3.3. Housing policies across the EU: Latest developments ........................................................................................... 23 4. Tenancy law and housing policy in Europe: The TENLAW project .......................................................................... 26 5. Social Housing in the UNECE regions: Models, trends and challenges ................................................................... 26 6. Homelessness in the EU ....................................................................................................................................... 27 7. Country profiles .................................................................................................................................................... 29 7.1. Austria ................................................................................................................................................................. 30 7.2. Belgium ................................................................................................................................................................32 7.3. Bulgaria ............................................................................................................................................................... 36 7.4. Croatia ................................................................................................................................................................. 38 7.5. Cyprus ................................................................................................................................................................. 40 7.6. Czech Republic ................................................................................................................................................... 42 7.7. Denmark .............................................................................................................................................................. 44 7.8. Estonia ................................................................................................................................................................ 46 7.9. Finland ................................................................................................................................................................. 48 7.10. France ................................................................................................................................................................. 50 7.11. Germany .............................................................................................................................................................. 52 7.12. Greece ................................................................................................................................................................ 54 7.13. Hungary ............................................................................................................................................................... 56 7.14. Ireland ................................................................................................................................................................. 58 7.15. Italy ...................................................................................................................................................................... 62 7.16. Latvia ................................................................................................................................................................... 64 7.17. Lithuania .............................................................................................................................................................. 66 7.18. Luxembourg ........................................................................................................................................................ 68 7.19. Malta ................................................................................................................................................................... 70 7.20. The Netherlands .................................................................................................................................................. 72 7.21. Poland ................................................................................................................................................................. 74 7.22. Portugal ............................................................................................................................................................... 76 7.23. Romania .............................................................................................................................................................. 78 7.24. Slovak Republic ................................................................................................................................................... 80 7.25. Slovenia ............................................................................................................................................................... 82 7.26. Spain ................................................................................................................................................................... 84 7.27. Sweden ............................................................................................................................................................... 86 7.28. United Kingdom ................................................................................................................................................... 88 8. Social housing in the EU: new opportunities, new challenges ................................................................................. 93 8.1. Housing and the EU investment plan .................................................................................................................... 94 8.2. Housing and the European economic governance (“The European Semester”) ...................................................... 95 8.3. Housing and EU regional policy (European Structural and Investment Funds) ........................................................ 96 8.4. Housing and the energy union .............................................................................................................................. 98 8.5. Needs and empowerment of citizens.................................................................................................................... 98 8.6. Financing of energy efficiency ............................................................................................................................... 99 8.7. Energy market integration..................................................................................................................................... 99 8.8. Enabling EU legislation ......................................................................................................................................... 99 8.9. Housing and the EU competition and internal market framework ........................................................................... 100 8.10. Housing and the EU social policies ....................................................................................................................... 100 9. Which direction for housing