Eurochild welcomes the new European Affordable Housing Plan and calls for a child-centered approach

The first-ever European Affordable Housing Plan focuses on people in vulnerable situations and social housing, in line with recommendations from Eurochild.

Eurochild welcomes the focus on housing as a central part of Europe’s social agenda. Our 2025 report, 'Unequal Childhoods: Rights on paper should be rights in practice,' highlighted how housing costs burden children and families, leading to homelessness, overcrowding, and poor living conditions. This crisis is compounded by systemic failures, such as limited social housing, strict access rules, and poor implementation of housing strategies.

Housing insecurity is both a driver and a consequence of child poverty. Without access to adequate and affordable housing, children are more likely to experience material deprivation, poor health outcomes and barriers to education. Poor housing conditions are a significant factor contributing to the separation of children from their biological families as documented in Bulgaria. Addressing housing challenges is therefore essential to achieving the objectives of the European Child Guarantee, which aims to ensure effective access to key services for children at risk of poverty and social exclusion.

A focus on those most at risk

Eurochild welcomes that the Plan explicitly recognises child homelessness. We also welcome that the Plan acknowledges that the crisis does not affect everyone equally, and names groups whose realities Eurochild members have repeatedly documented, including:

• Families with children at risk of poverty and single parents
• Children with a migrant and ethnic background, including Roma
• Victims of gender-based violence
• Children with disabilities and their families , including the risk of institutionalisation when accessible housing is unavailable

The Plan also points to the links between poor housing quality, inadequate indoor temperatures and air quality, and energy poverty. These issues have a direct impact on children’s health and development.

The Commission’s intention is to strengthen monitoring and housing statistics, including an EU-level access point for housing data and analysis. This is an important step towards more evidence-based policymaking.

Building social housing as a response to the housing challenges

The Plan also acknowledges that social housing needs particular attention, noting its decline in recent decades and the need to reverse current trends. In particular, the Commission stated that it will:

• Support reforms for affordable and social housing via stronger monitoring and targeted recommendations under the European Semester
• Work with Member States (including through the Housing Alliance) to identify where EU policy and funding can have the biggest impact
• Support taxation policies that promote housing affordability
• Provide technical and financial support to carry out reforms (including through the Housing Alliance, the Technical Support Instrument and under the next MFF)
• Identify models and share good practices, balancing property rights with tenant security
• Support households facing energy poverty, including protection from disconnection, as part of the Citizens Energy Package (2026).
• Propose a Council recommendation on fighting housing exclusion
• Mobilise new investment in social housing and housing-led solutions for homeless people

A way forward for children experiencing housing challenges in Europe

At Eurochild, we look forward to continuing to work with the EU institutions to tackle the housing challenges faced by children across Europe. Building on our contribution to the Plan, where we framed housing as a children’s rights issue connected to the right to an adequate standard of living, we call for:

• Prioritising adequate housing for all children, with targeted pathways for those most exposed to homelessness and discrimination
• Ensure the next EU budget is used to step up investments in social housing and tackling the housing challenges faced by children, and ensure reforms and funding reach children and families facing poverty
• Tackle energy poverty and substandard housing, including damp, mould and unsafe environments that harm children’s health
• Ensure better, disaggregated data that makes children visible (including by age and situation), so progress can be tracked and accountability strengthened.

The European Child Guarantee already provides a practical framework for reaching children at risk of poverty and social exclusion, including through housing-related measures. It should be explicitly leveraged alongside the European Semester and investment instruments.

For more information, read Eurochild’s policy paper ‘’Housing challenges faced by children in Europe’’.