EPP local and regional leaders from across Europe have adopted the Badalona Declaration, which calls for housing for young people to become a European priority. They also strongly condemned squatting, stressing that it undermines basic property rights, the stability of the housing market, and citizens’ sense of safety. EPP-led cities and regions committed to driving forward practical solutions to reduce construction burdens, ease living costs, and expand access to quality and affordable homes.
Opening the EPP Local Dialogue, Sari Rautio, President of the EPP-CoR Group, said: “Pressures of rising housing demand have become a heavy burden on households, communities, and local and regional authorities — highlighting the urgent need for coordinated action across Europe. We need more investment — and smarter investment. Instruments like InvestEU can deliver real results. But funds must be accessible, procedures must be simplified, and local and regional authorities must be placed at the centre of the housing strategy.”
Xavier Garcia Albiol, Mayor of Badalona, highlighted the lack of investment in housing in Spain and explained how Badalona, under EPP leadership, is tackling the housing crisis: “Our city, the third largest in Catalonia and the 23rd in Spain, had not launched a single public housing project in the past 20 years. Not one. That fact alone shows the scale of the problem in our country. The projects we have begun are already more than what was achieved in the last 20 years under left-wing governments in this city.” He also stressed the need to address squatting.
Panel I: Challenges and Opportunities in Regional and Local Housing Markets and Urban Planning
Juan Bravo, Deputy Secretary-General for Economy and Housing, PP, said: “Citizens do not want speeches, they do not want headlines — they want roofs over their heads. While Sánchez makes announcements — but delivers zero homes — EPP-led regions, together with municipalities, have already launched 160,000 housing projects.” He added that in Spain, when someone occupies a home illegally, the rightful owner can be left without access for 12, 15, 18, even 24 months, blocked by endless judicial procedures: “This is unacceptable — and changing it is the first step to restoring confidence and unlocking the housing market. We also need financial tools and tax incentives to help young people.”
Borja Giménez Larraz, EPP Group MEP and Rapporteur for the EP HOUS Committee report on the housing crisis in the EU, underlined the role of subsidiarity: “It is essential to listen to the regions, and we ask the European Commission to publish best practices focused on depopulated areas, to present specific housing plans for rural, island, outermost, and cross-border regions, and to simplify procedures, strengthen digital administrative capacity, and promote multilevel governance.”
Hanna Zdanowska, Mayor of Łódź and EPP-CoR Group Member, emphasized local approaches: “Every city must shape its housing policy according to its own needs, scale, and particular situation. In Łódź we are focusing on developing social and affordable housing schemes, so that young people and families who fall into this credit gap also have access to decent homes and pathways to ownership in the future. This year alone, we will deliver over 500 new apartments, with similar volumes planned for the coming years. We are also entering into Public–Private Partnership projects, striving to move as quickly as possible to secure housing for our citizens. We need European cooperation — and specifically, a fund directly dedicated to housing. Without it, it will be very difficult to simplify procedures and create effective housing programs.”
Emma Blain, Member of Dublin City Council and EPP-CoR Group Member, stressed the need to work hand in hand with the private sector to unlock significant investment in housing, and highlighted the importance of sharing experiences across regions.
Xavier Vilajoana, President of APCEspaña and APCE Catalonia (Spanish Association of Developers and Builders), argued for simpler and more flexible urban planning laws: “It simply cannot be that our urban planning is so inflexible and unable to adapt. Each municipality knows what it needs, how its society wants to grow, and how its citizens want to live. Current legislation affects many municipalities, and therefore millions of citizens. This law should be reformed, because it is freezing countless urban planning projects, leaving thousands of homes stuck on paper instead of being built.”
Donato Muñoz, CEO of CEVASA (Spanish Company of Rental Housing, S.A.), said that access to housing has become one of the main societal challenges, particularly for younger generations who lack the financial resources to purchase a home. He said that high tax and financing costs make rental even less accessible compared to ownership.
Panel II: Innovative Solutions, Youth Access, and European Cooperation on Housing
The second panel was moderated by Jelena Drenjanin, Member of the Municipal Council of Huddinge Municipality and EPP-CoR Group Member. Introducing the debate, she said: “Housing is also about intergenerational solidarity, the well-being of students and young tenants, and the possibility for younger households to settle, invest, and plan their future.”
Georgiana-Cristina Sima, County Councillor of Cluj-Napoca, presented a project that will deliver 35 apartments: “Local administrations cannot limit themselves to maintaining existing services. They must also act as developers, planning and delivering new projects where they are most needed. But local action alone is not enough. We are doing our part at the local level — but we cannot do it alone. For true urban development to succeed, we need coordinated action at the local, national, and European levels.”
Beatrice Nieburg, Deputy District Chair, Düsseldorf, shared her perspective: “As a young person living and studying in Düsseldorf, I see every day how difficult it is to secure affordable housing. Yet I also see a city willing to innovate — whether by converting office space into flats, supporting energy-efficient renovations, or experimenting with new housing models. For me, that balance of challenge and creativity is what makes Düsseldorf unique.”
Gonzalo Bernardos Domínguez, Director of the Master’s in Real Estate Advisory, Management and Development at the University of Barcelona, and real estate market analyst, stressed the importance of regulatory reform and the role of the private sector: “We must address existing regulation to provide more freedom so that housing can be built quickly. The private sector must remain the key driver of housing. Policies must serve the majority of the population — not tailored products for a privileged minority.”
Rareș Voicu, President of the European Youth Forum, said: “Across the EU, young people are struggling with sky-rocketing rents, soaring house prices, and poor-quality housing. But a housing crisis is not inevitable. At the European Youth Forum, we believe young people deserve much better — and that access to affordable, quality housing should never be a privilege. Local and regional authorities have a central role in delivering solutions to make sure all young people have a decent place to live.”
Kevin Klinkspoor, Municipal Council Member in Westland, also contributed to the discussion. "We are tackling the housing challenge through public–private partnerships, stronger housing associations, and targeted support for young buyers. By working with local experts, we provide young people with practical guidance on mortgages and home renovation. At the same time, we are committed to restoring the capacity of housing associations to deliver affordable rental homes, with a major expansion planned after 2026. Finally, to help first-time buyers in our tight market, we launched a program offering an additional €30,000 loan on top of their mortgage — a widely used measure that helps young families settle locally and strengthens community ties."