Building better cities: local and regional leaders at work to ensure sustainable housing policies and promote cycling

Building better cities: local and regional leaders at work to ensure sustainable housing policies and promote cycling

The improvement of key aspects of Europeans' daily life was the focus of a meeting of the Commission for territorial cohesion policy and EU budget (COTER), on 9 February. Local and regional leaders adopted two draft opinions with recommendations to EU institutions on affordable and s​ustainable housing and on make cities friendlier and safer for cyclists.  

Gentrification and "touristification" (short-term letting for tourists and co-living) are pushing up prices and energy poverty is affecting around 34 million Europeans, increasing the risk of evictions and homelessness and threatening social cohesion. This worrying trend is affecting not only low-income, but also middle-income households. Local and regional authorities are primarily responsible for addressing the housing demand and for managing large stocks of local public buildings and public spaces, with a primary role in planning and funding. In the draft opinion adopted on 9 February, cities and regions take a first step in asking the EU institutions to establish a structured dialogue on the issue and to provide more support for local and regional governments' efforts to provide affordable and sustainable housing. (...)