The Affordable Housing Act, proposed by the European Commission on 9 September, ignores the need of millions of persons with disabilities for accessible housing.
In fact, persons with disabilities or accessibility were not even mentioned, and no reference was made to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Convention is a binding text that should govern all EU legislation.
The Housing Act focuses mostly on housing shortages in bigger cities (“areas under housing stress”), targeting especially the effects of short-term rentals, as well as second homes. While this provides limited relief, it does not address the specific requirements of persons with disabilities, a group disproportionately affected by the shortage.
In order to really make a difference for persons with disabilities, the final text of the Act must:
- Include provisions on building and renovating housing according to accessibility standards;
- Adopt measures to renovate existing housing stock to ensure it is accessible for persons with disabilities (including adaptations for persons with physical and sensory disabilities);
- Acknowledge that the housing shortage for persons with disabilities extends beyond big cities and urban areas due to lack of accessible infrastructure;
- Include measures to mitigate the additional cost of living for persons with disabilities and their increased risk of poverty and social exclusion linked to high housing costs.
The Act could change the daily lives of persons who are often segregated in residential institutions or trapped in their own homes. But only if our demands are met. The current proposal will provide almost no improvement for persons with disabilities.
Thorkild Olesen, Vice-President of the European Disability Forum, said:
It is extremely disappointing that the Commission chose to ignore our needs, despite our advocacy and solutions presented. We now rely on the Irish Presidency and the Parliament to ensure we are not left behind.
Additional Information
- Affordable Housing Act – Proposal for a Regulation
- EDF resolution: the right to affordable and accessible housing for persons with disabilities
Contacts
Marie Denninghaus
Policy and Capacity Building Manager – European Disability Forum
marie.denninghaus@edf-feph.org
André Félix
Communications Manager – European Disability Forum
The European Disability Forum is an umbrella organisation of persons with disabilities that defends the interests of 100 million Europeans with disabilities. EDF is a unique platform that brings together representative organisations of persons with disabilities across Europe. It is run by persons with disabilities and their families. EDF is a strong, united voice of persons with disabilities in Europe.