The crisis hits dramatically, prices rise by 47%. The shock of the century affects 4 categories of people: Are you among them?

Experts are warning that a key area of ​​people’s lives is being dramatically hit by the crisis following explosive events around the world that are causing a price upheaval. A special official report by the United Nations warns that the housing crisis has now become the problem of the 21st century, affecting 4 social categories due to a 47% increase in house prices between 2010 and 2022.

A month before the European Parliament elections, in which far-right parties are expected to finish first in nine EU member states and second or third in nine others, the UN special rapporteur on the right to a Adequate Housing has urged nation states to tackle their housing crises or risk being exploited by far-right and populist parties, according to Scottish Housing News.

“Far-right parties thrive when they can exploit the social gaps that arise from underinvestment and inadequate government planning and when they can blame foreigners,” Balakrishnan Rajagopal told The Guardian.

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“This is the situation many EU countries are in now. The housing crisis affects 4 categories of people, not only low-income people, migrants, single-parent families, but also the middle class. This is the social problem of the 21st century.”

The lack of affordable housing has sparked protests in Lisbon, Amsterdam, Prague, Milan and – outside the EU – London, with young people in particular angry against rents swallowing up half their incomes and mortgages 10 times the average wage. The issue was a major concern for voters in last year’s Dutch election, won by anti-Islam Geert Wilders’ far-right Freedom Party (PVV), and played a role in boosting support for Portugal’s Chega, who nearly tripled his share .

“It’s a theme that ticks many current themes” for far-right parties, said Catherine Fieschi of the European University Institute. “It’s easy to frame it as an issue of elites versus the people – and pretend that migrants are treated better than citizens.”

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Eurostat data shows that in the 27-member EU bloc, house prices rose by 47% between 2010 and 2022, with rents rising by 18% over the same period. In some countries, more than a fifth of households spend 40% or more of their net income on housing. Recent academic research has established a clear link between rising rents and votes for the far right – even without strong anti-immigration messages.

Tarik Abou-Chadi, an EU policy specialist and co-author of a study that found rising rents were reflected locally in growing support for Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, said that “fear of losing status ” is a key factor.

“These data show that housing is now part of a wider package of economic and social threats and insecurities that fuel anxiety,” he said. “The fear that you might have to move out of your home because you can’t afford it is leading to an increase in far-right support.”

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Rajagopal, who recently reported on the Dutch housing crisis, said a first step for the main parties should be enshrining affordable, adequate and safe housing as a legal right. “EU countries have a long and commendable tradition of social protection, of welfare,” he said.

“But when it comes to recognizing housing as a legal human right, Europe lags behind international law. EU citizens cannot go to their national courts regarding housing. European countries recognize this but do nothing about it.”

Beyond that, the housing crisis in Europe – including Britain – was a product of “treating housing like any other commodity, to be bought and sold” and abandoning state planning, Rajagopal said. “Europe drank the Kool-Aid of the 1980s, when markets were good and planning was bad.”

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