A European Housing Policy?

Abstract Formally, the European Union (EU) should not, and does not, formulate housing policy, this being a function lodged with the individual member states. Against the background of the Lisbon objectives and the Kok report, however, the present paper argues that the EU has actually appeared to promote a housing strategy for the member states based on increasing home ownership rates. Drawing on a range of evidence, the paper examines what might be referred to as a stealth housing policy. It does so from the points of view of both whether the housing system objectives are likely to be achieved and, if they are, what they might mean for some aspects of the EU's wider economic and social objectives. Finally, the paper considers whether a more explicit EU interest in housing policy would be desirable.