MEMBER states should agree to include a right to housing in the Treaty, says a resolution drafted by Brian Crowley (Munster, UFE), adopted by
Parliament. The EU has been virtually silent on this issue. The exception is the European Coal and Steel Community Treaty, which contains a provision to cover financial aid for housing coal and steel workers. The resolution also calls for the development of a high-quality housing programme, and minimum levels of social security to help the millions of EU citizens who face the problem of losing their homes.
In introducing the resolution Mr Crowley emphasised the scale of the problem. There are currently 3.5 million homeless people and 13 million living in inadequate or temporary accommodation. This figure represents some 5 per cent of the EU population. The decline in skills-based training means there is a danger that there will be insufficient numbers of skilled workers in the house building trades. The EU has a role to play in instigating proper training in this area, and in promoting a sustainable house building programme, drawing from the best examples of modern housing schemes in different member states.
MEPs want the EU to be active in tackling the problem of rural depopulation by supporting rural housing developments, to take the pressure off urban areas. There should be a Commission task force to analyse the impact of other EU policies on housing, and a European housing forum to bring together all interested parties in the field. A new EU pilot programme known as IGLOO should fond integrated housing-related projects. Describing his approach as a "people's charter for a better Europe" Mr Crowley said it would show that the EU "can react to the real needs of every individual European citizen".