The Partnership on Housing would like to contribute to a better understanding of the problems that cities, other public authorities and affordable housing providers face in their investment ability with regard to the current EU state aid/competition rules. To that purpose, the Partnership has produced the Guidance Paper on EU regulation & public support for housing; the result of an in-depth analysis and thorough screening of the housing situation in Member States.

The document depicts the negative effects of legal uncertainty on investment in affordable housing (both new and renewal) and presents possible solutions on practical and legal terms. The paper concludes that more clarity and certainty is required in order to unlock the investment so urgently needed to build new and renew existing affordable housing for city populations.

In line with this, the Partnership suggests the organisation of a "capacity building workshop" that collects and exchanges, in a structured way, experiences from practitioners, policy makers and legislators from cities, regions, MS and EU institutions in this field. Likewise, the Partnership recommends to undertake the general revision of the SGEI decision (technically foreseen in the document for 2017) in order to enable the acceptance of sustainable goals like social mix and social cohesion as valid public policy objectives. The prevailing definition of the narrow target group for social housing, on which tightens options in its interpretation and leads do legal uncertainty consequently needs to be deleted.

The Guidance Paper was approved by the Partnership on Housing in its March 2017 meeting. Now, the Partnership seeks to learn through public feedback if other cities, policy makers, legislators, social/affordable housing providers, tenants´ organisations, Member States and EU institutions share their opinion on EU regulation & public support for housing, as stated in the Guidance Paper.

More information:

Guidance Paper on EU regulation & public support for housing

Capacity Building Workshop on "State Aid and Affordable Housing investments"

Action 1: Guidance on EU regulation and public support for housing

Action 2: Capacity building for application of state aid rules in affordable housing sector at a city level

Action 3: Revision of the SGEI decision with regard to the narrow target group of social housing