Meeting with Commissioner Günther Oettinger

Providing affordable housing is a social policy imperative

According to calculations by a high level EU-working group, there is an EU-wide investment gap of 57 billion euros per year for social housing. However, the target group definition of social housing by the EU Commission to only disadvantaged groups hampers investment considerably. Because investors are unsure whether they may have to pay back subsidies because they have built for middle-income households. Even federal states in Germany are unsure that they risk a competition lawsuit. The social mix in residential areas in Germany and other EU states is an important and recognized goal of social and affordable housing construction. That is why the representative of the International Union of Tenants IUT, Barbara Steenbergen, and DMB Presidium Member, Rolf Gaßmann, spoke in an interview with EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger in Brussels for affordable housing for broad parts of the society. Oettinger shared the opinion of tenants’ representatives that affordable housing requires financial support for broad parts of the society and that this can also create balanced residential areas with a good social mix. Oettinger said he would attend an event on the issue in Brussels in the next fall. Investment barriers to affordable housing would have to be eliminated. This event will also invite EU Commissioners in charge of competition and social affairs as well as representatives of cities and housing associations. “

Picture: © IUT Ilaria D’Auria

Underline:  Tenant’ s representatives meet EU commissioner Oettinger (Oettinger, Steenbergen, Gaßmann)