Marc Pigeon, President of the Build Europe association of national federations of developers and homebuilders in 17 EU member states, has warned about the global housing crisis ahead of the G7 Meeting of Urban Development Ministers.
At a press conference attended by the Presidents of many of Europe's largest housing associations in Takamatsu, Japan, Pigeon called for policymakers to adopt a common approach that integrates housing into a broader global policy and vision, and addresses growing demand that is being caused by demographic changes and migratory flows from war, poverty, and climate change.
He also cited the relationship between house affordability housing supply, arguing the governments of the G7 need to address a 'social crisis' that has been caused by price inflation outstripping real wages for over a decade.
The combination of ageing populations and insufficient, and increasingly unaffordable housing supply, is a social bomb ready to explode at the global level.
Pigeon presented a new Build Europe framework for addressing the complex issue of housing, saying governments could deliver different national housing priorities by focusing on addressing the following barriers:
During the press conference, Pigeon appealed to the leaders of the G7 intergovernmental political forum to discuss ways and means of resolving the shortfall in affordable housing crisis, also appealing for closer cooperation between national policymakers and experts on social policy.
"Tomorrow will be too late, and the time to act is today.
We are facing a global emergency that is as critical and urgent as climate change.
"The G7 governments must consider that access to affordable housing is the keystone of a well-balanced society.
Developers and homebuilders are ready to play their part and support policies that reconcile affordable housing with environmental objectives.
"We are pleased to offer our analysis and proposals, hoping that our inputs and recommendations will be considered at the upcoming meeting of G7 urban development ministers."
Build Europe considers accessibility to decent affordable housing solutions that meet EU citizens' needs and expectations to be one of the main challenges that needs to be addressed by the European institutions.
On the eve of the 2019 European elections, the organisation published a Manifesto for addressing the housing crisis in the EU which suggested practical and feasible solutions for European institutions to implement.
In 2020, Build Europe also submitted action plan, "Housing: A European Challenge", to the European Commission, which took account of lessons learned during the Covid-19 pandemic, and included recommendations for relaunching the European economy while addressing the housing affordability crisis.
In 2022, Build Europe published "No Net Land Take by 2050 – Solving the Unsolvable", a booklet designed to help policymakers pursue a policy of land preservation while protecting European citizens from rising housing costs, and a comic book designed to explain in a simple way the structural reasons behind the phenomenon of unaffordable housing.
Tomorrow will be too late, and the time to act is today.
Build Europe's Members include:
