Understanding the Housing Conditions Experienced by Children in the EU

The provision of quality and affordable housing is an important mechanism for tackling child poverty, promoting the social inclusion of children and minimising the risk of homelessness among children in the EU. The purpose of this memo is to outline the housing conditions experienced by children across EU Member States (MS). The memo also offers examples of responses to the housing issues facing children from the EU and various MS.

While the EU and many MS have a number of legislative and policy levers in place to protect and promote the housing rights and conditions of children, the memo outlines how children living in the EU are at a particularly high risk of severe housing deprivation and overcrowding, although access to affordable housing is generally similar for children compared to the general population. The memo has also highlighted that some social groups are at a particularly high risk of suffering from poor housing conditions: children of migrants, single parent households, couples with three or more children, and households living in private or social rented accommodation.