The meeting was convened by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), whose 56 member states cover the continent as well as North America and Central Asia.
Families pushed into poverty
Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean highlighted the critical housing situation during a briefing to journalists.
“Many families pay a quarter or even half of their disposable income just to keep a roof over their heads.. Therefore, single parents, families with children and young people are especially affected,” he said.
Furthermore, a 2024 UNECE report revealed that in most countries, Housing costs are pushing more than a third of low-income families into poverty..
The region also faces “a pressing sustainability challenge,” with housing accounting for approximately 30 percent of both energy use and carbon dioxide emissions.
Most of the housing stock “is aging and energy inefficient” and retrofitting older homes can be difficult as “municipalities and housing providers often struggle with high upfront costs and limited access to finance.”
Action and investment
At the meeting, ministers reaffirmed that housing is a human right and made actionable commitments to increase accessibility.
“Without general access to affordable, high-quality, needs-based housing, many social and economic problems can arise that affect different areas of public policy, such as education, health, transport and the environment,” said Martin Tschirren, head of the Swiss Federal Housing Office, who chaired the meeting.
The commitments agreed by the ministers underline the “Urgent need for integrated, inclusive and forward-looking strategies. that address the housing emergency.”
While recognizing the dynamic, diverse and context-dependent nature of housing challenges – and its important links to economic growth, employment and other sectors – ministers warned that the view of housing as a wealth generator and driver of profits has led to increased speculation and insufficient public and private investment.
In this sense, they called for measures such as greater public investment and the expansion of public, cooperative, social and community housing models, in addition to private sector financing through green bonds, loans linked to sustainability, community land trusts or mixed financing instruments.
Adjust taxes and reduce speculation
Ministers pledged to adjust land value taxes to make policies more equitable. They also called for stopping short-term tourist rentals to reduce speculation.
Other measures outlined include increasing the available housing stock through strategies that prioritize modernization and the promotion of new construction that is climate resilient and energy efficient.
The meeting was held as part of the 86th session of the ECE Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Territorial Management, which ends on Friday.