Do young people in Europe have access to affordable and good-quality housing? As a cornerstone of young people’s lives, access to housing not only enables them to live independently from their parents but also supports their mental and physical well-being. A stable home provides the conditions for self-care, fosters a sense of belonging, and allows young people to thrive across all areas of life.
Access to housing is recognised as a key social right in the European Pillar of Social Rights. However, any Europeans encounter significant difficulties in finding and securing quality housing. In her State of the Union speech on 10 September 2025, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen recognised that housing is a ‘social crisis’ and one of the EU’s top priorities for the coming years.
In line with this, the first-ever European affordable housing plan was launched in December 2025, to present concrete actions to help tackle the structural causes of the housing crisis. This brand-new Youth Wiki report “Youth access to affordable and quality housing. A comparative analysis of national policies” provides a mapping of the policy measures supporting young people’s access to affordable and quality housing in 34 European countries as data indicate that housing unaffordability is at a particularly critical point, affecting many young people, especially those with fewer opportunities. T
Housing is unaffordable for many young people
In 2024, 27% of people aged 15–29 living in the EU lived in overcrowded housing, versus 17% of the total population. The percentage for young people increases to 42% when individuals at risk of poverty are considered. In the same year, more than 1 in 10 young Europeans aged 20–29 lived in households where the total housing costs represented more than 40% of their income (housing cost overburden rate), while the conventional affordability benchmark is set at 30%. Throughout 2024, 7% of young people (aged 15–29) were suffering from severe housing deprivation against 4% of the total population.
Moreover, young people constitute a particular group in society with specific characteristics and needs. Besides being affected by housing instability to a larger extent compared to the total population (as indicated by the data reported above), young people find themselves in a particularly vulnerable period in life.
Report’s key findings:
- Generally, the availability of social housing is inadequate across many European countries. Further investments in social housing and increasing the social housing stock are needed. To increase the supply of affordable accommodation for disadvantaged youth and students, collaboration between public actors and private investors can be helpful. For example, such collaborations could ensure new development projects include social housing for young people.
- Supporting young people’s renting capacity is essential. However, support for renting is the least followed policy approach by national authorities; less than half of the countries in the study have established this kind of housing measure for young people. Establishing means-tested housing allowances would enable young people with fewer resources and students to afford housing. As proposed by the European affordable housing plan, creating alternative housing solutions – such as affordable co-living and co-housing – can reduce costs while enhancing young people’s inclusion in local communities.
- National housing policies do not frequently address the fact that young people’s spatial differentiation – which considers if young people live in rural or urban spaces – can greatly influence their housing experience. Targeting the needs of young people living in rural and urban areas is crucial, as rural areas can have limited access to social services, such as social housing. Conversely, young people in urban areas often face scarcity of adequate accommodation that contributes to unaffordable housing. Policy measures could include subsidies to renovate abandoned housing stock in rural regions, and rental incentives to make unoccupied dwellings in urban areas available on the market.
- Integrating youth perspectives into relevant policies, including housing is key. As youth housing intersects with social, housing, education and youth policies – to name a few – integrating youth perspectives can ensure targeted interventions and increase the visibility and relevance of youth housing issues. Linking housing to youth employment schemes, students’ mobility programmes or social inclusion initiatives would be crucial for this.
- Facilitating long-term housing for young migrants and refugees is important, as they are one of the least targeted groups by national housing policies and face structural and administrative barriers that limit their access to public housing support. Eligibility for assistance often excludes many migrants and refugees, particularly recent arrivals, as it requires years of residence or local registration. Housing programmes for migrants and refugees often do not adequately address long-term housing. Discrimination in the private housing market also increases their risk of inadequate housing and homelessness. To help, national measures could focus on facilitating long-term housing for young migrants and refugees by reducing the administrative burden and combatting housing discrimination. Establishing the same eligibility criteria for refugees as for nationals for the allocation of public housing, and monitoring housing discrimination would also protect young migrants and refugees from unfair practices.
Access the report
Download the report for an overview of youth housing policies across the Youth Wiki countries, including detailed data and key insights for policymakers, youth organisations and anyone interested in discovering the realities Europe’s young people face in accessing housing.
More information about YouthWiki
YouthWiki (Visit an external site. The link opens in a new tab.) is Europe’s online comprehensive database describing the structures, policies and actions of national youth policies within 34 European countries. YouthWiki is available for all and it aims to support European level cooperation and evidence-based desicionmaking. In Finland, the database is updated as a part of the Finnish Youth Research Society’s YouthWiki -project.