EU state-aid change aims to boost housing
The European Commission has launched a public consultation on a proposal to change state-aid rules to help member states to provide affordable housing.
The EU body says that its goal is to allow EU countries to support affordable housing in a “faster and simpler” way.
It is planning a revision of what are known as the SGEI (services of general economic interest) rules to address challenges related to housing affordability that go beyond social housing.
Exemption
A new category of exemption is to be added to the SGEI Decision for affordable housing, which allows state aid to be granted without notification to the commission.
The proposed definition of ‘affordable housing’ is: "Housing for households, who are not able, due to market outcomes and, notably, market failures, to access housing at affordable conditions”.
The revision also includes specific conditions for affordable-housing services of general economic interest.
The commission’s plans for the SGEI also include changes to sections on critical medicines, as well as the aviation and maritime sectors.
Funding
Commissioner Teresa Ribera described access to housing as “one of the major social challenges in Europe”.
She said the review of the SGEI rules was aimed at facilitating the funding of affordable housing.
The commission says that any interested citizen, business, public authority, or association can contribute to the public consultation until 4 November through the COMP website.