To halt the far right, Europe's progressive parties must fix its housing crisis. Our research shows how

"Housing costs across Europe have become a growing burden for many households, both for those trying to buy and those trying to rent. Over the past decade, property prices have surged faster than incomes in many European countries. The same is true for rents, which have increased exponentially in large cities but have also increased substantially in suburban areas and smaller university towns."

"Given how much housing costs affect Europeans' quality of life, it is comparatively absent from the agenda of progressive political parties. When politicians do emphasise housing, the focus is usually solely on building more houses. Former German chancellor Olaf Scholz, for example, promised to build 400,000 new homes in Germany every year a goal his government failed to reach by some distance."

"At the same time, far-right parties such as the Freedom party (PVV) in the Netherlands or Chega in Portugal have made the housing affordability crisis into a campaign issue. What are the hurdles that keep other parties from politicising housing? And what would a progressive European housing agenda look like? As part of the Progressive Politics Research Network an initiative to promote social science research findings to a broader audience we have published eight research briefs to that end."

Housing costs across Europe have risen faster than incomes, producing burdens for both buyers and renters and substantial rent increases in cities, suburbs and university towns. Housing affordability significantly influences quality of life but receives limited attention from progressive parties, which often prioritise supply-side measures. Ambitious building targets, such as a pledged 400,000 new German homes per year, have been missed. Right-wing parties have politicised affordability with nationalist access claims. European housing systems vary: home ownership dominates overall but ownership rates differ, and renting is increasingly common among younger urban residents. Policy debates frame housing as either an asset or a social right.

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