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In her speech to the European Parliament on 18 July and in her political guidelines for 2024-2029, President Ursula von der Leyen announced that she will appoint a Commissioner whose responsibilities will include housing and will put forward a first-ever European Affordable Housing Plan, in order to “address the housing crisis facing millions of families and young people” in Europe. 

On 17 September, Dan Jørgensen, a former climate and energy minister in Denmark, was appointed as the EU’s first-ever Commissioner-Designate for Energy and Housing. His role will have to be confirmed by the European Parliament in November. 

The Architects’ Council of Europe very much welcomes the new appointment. For many years, ACE has been calling for affordable and high-quality housing for all to be considered as a matter of general interest and become a priority of public authorities.

In 2022, the ACE released a Statement with political recommendations for affordable and quality housing, which underlines that addressing the housing crisis requires to put an end to the search for short-term economic gains and to tackle unnecessary and costly regulations. We urgently need to adopt an attitude that favours the common good and quality of life and puts people and nature at the core of housing and urban developments.

“In the area of housing, we share common issues and ambitions despite cultural differences and approaches among countries. In Europe, the way we inhabit our planet has been elevated to the highest political level with the New European Bauhaus, which invites us collectively to reimagine our living spaces. Housing models must be rethought in this spirit, so as to recover architectural, urban and landscape quality; to take inspiration from social economic models; and to reinforce access to common functions and basic services” said ACE President Ruth Schagemann.

The Architects’ Council of Europe stands ready to work with the future Commissioner for Housing and is looking forward to contributing to the development of the EU Affordable Housing Plan.