The European Network on Independent Living welcomes the European Commission’s efforts to address the housing crisis and its social consequences. Access to adequate, affordable and accessible housing is a precondition for independent living and full participation in the community, as recognised in Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
The pdf of the full statement is available here. The word file here.
Persons with disabilities are disproportionately affected by the housing crisis. Without accessible and community-based housing, many remain excluded from society or at risk of institutionalisation. While the European Affordable Housing Plan acknowledges these challenges, it does not yet provide clear targets, safeguards or binding measures to ensure that housing policies deliver accessible housing and support independent living in practice.
Accessibility must be a core requirement
The Plan places strong emphasis on affordability and refers to accessibility; however, accessibility is treated as a non-binding principle rather than a core requirement. For persons with disabilities, affordability without accessibility does not ensure access to housing. Disability is addressed only marginally, instead of being mainstreamed across housing policies.
Persons with disabilities face structural barriers and discrimination in accessing housing and often incur higher living costs. Affordable housing that is not accessible can lead to exclusion, segregation and increased risk of institutionalisation.
Housing and deinstitutionalisation are inseparable
Accessible and community-based housing is a cornerstone of deinstitutionalisation and independent living. When housing policies fail to ensure accessibility and community-based solutions, persons with disabilities remain at risk of segregation and institutional care.
Although the Plan recognises the link between inaccessible housing and institutionalisation, it does not include concrete safeguards to ensure that EU funding supports community-based housing and services rather than institutional models. Without binding accessibility requirements and targeted funding, efforts to expand housing supply risk perpetuating institutionalisation instead of enabling independent living.
Housing first approach
We support housing-led approaches to homelessness. However, homeless persons with disabilities are overrepresented among the homeless population and often require access to support services in addition to housing.
Therefore we call for a housing and support first approach that combines access to housing with community-based support services to ensure sustainable inclusion and prevent institutionalisation.
Safety and emergency preparedness must be inclusive
As housing stock expands and new buildings are constructed, safety requirements must include persons with disabilities. We call for safe and accessible evacuation plans to be integrated into housing policies and building standards.
Emergency preparedness in housing remains insufficiently addressed. The current policy momentum presents an opportunity to ensure that persons with disabilities are not placed at disproportionate risk during emergencies due to inaccessible evacuation procedures.
Opportunities in upcoming EU initiatives
The European Affordable Housing Plan introduces initiatives aimed at increasing housing supply, mobilising investment and supporting vulnerable groups. Proposed revisions to the Decision on Services of General Economic Interest (SGEI), new investment mechanisms, and cooperation platforms such as the EU Housing Summit and the European Housing Alliance may create opportunities to promote accessible and community-based housing, provided that accessibility requirements are integrated into funding criteria and implementation.
At the same time, we are concerned that simplification measures may weaken accessibility requirements. Increasing housing supply without ensuring accessibility risks deepening exclusion for persons with disabilities.
Call to ensure that housing policies:
- include binding universal design and accessibility standards,
- link EU funding to accessible and community-based housing,
- integrate housing with community-based support services,
- address homelessness among persons with disabilities,
- include safe and accessible evacuation plans,
- safeguard accessibility in simplification and construction policies.
Only by integrating accessibility, safety and independent living principles into housing policies can the EU ensure that persons with disabilities are not left behind in efforts to tackle the housing crisis.
For additional input please visit www.enil.eu
Contact information
ENIL Brussels Office vzw/asbl Mundo J – 6th Floor Rue de l’Industrie 10 1000 Brussels, Belgium
