The housing market in the EU is very fragmented - and the situation is quite different from country to country. Across the EU, about 70% live in owner occupied housing, 30% are renters. The market can be roughly categorised in four types of actors who strive to provide (in at least some ways) more sustainable housing for a broader audience in urban areas.
Publicly owned local housing providers | Private social housing developers | Co-Living developers / operators | Housing Cooperatives | |
Geographical scope | City scope | Ranging from regional to National | Ranging from national scope to worldwide | City scope |
Efficiency level through digitalisation | Rather low | Medium | High | Rather low |
Market share of all housing stock in the EU | ||||
Market dynamic | After privatisation of public housing stock for decades, some cities have started to buy back assets & invest in new developments | Mixed: Private public partnerships are getting stronger, but sector’s dynamic depends on local politics and public cooperation | Sector growing fast, 10+% per year | Slowly growing, a wave of new housing coops has emerged in the past 20 years |
Climate friendliness | Medium
(rising with new projects where they want to demonstrate best practices for the built environment) | Medium
(rising though, due to EU taxonomy / ESG frameworks) | Medium → High
(foster smaller living footprint per person, often high energy standards) | High
(usually high priority, with sustainable construction, high energy standards and the promotion of shared spaces) |
Shared spaces & non-standard floor plans | Sometimes, in new projects | Rarely | Almost always | In many cases |
Community Building | Low | Low | High | High |
Profit focus | No to Low | Medium to high | High
(funded through Venture Capital / Private equity) | No to Low
(potential financial surplus is reinvested into new projects) |
Short term affordability | High | High | Medium → High
(Spaces are fully furnished, often no deposit needed) | Low → Medium
(financing coop shares, esp. in young coops can be a financial barrier) |
Long term affordability | High | Medium
(see above, rents could get increased heavily if the project falls out of the social housing scheme) | Low
(costs per sqm are usually way above market rate, for most ppl no suitable long term solution) | Low
(costs per sqm are usually way above market rate, for most ppl no suitable long term solution) |
Short term accessibility for renters / members | Low to Medium | Low to Medium | High
(often, it’s the only quick solution for city newcomers) | Low
(most coops have long waiting lists) |
Long term accessibility for renters / members | Medium to High
(cities could decide to sell your flat) | Medium
(in certain countries developers can transform social housing into free market housing after x years) | Low
(highly volatile market sector, depending on whether expected high margins can be reached) | High
(renters are also owners, global housing coops’ bankruptcy rate is under <1% over many decades) |
co-design opportunities | Usually no say in interior planning, spaces are unfurnished | Usually no say in interior planning, spaces are unfurnished | Usually no say in interior planning, spaces furnished | With new building projects, future residents (as they are co-owners) can often co-desin |
Mobility between cities | no | usually no | High flexibility with intl. actors, but existing renters generally don’t have advantages over new customers | no |