Questionnaire: Housing Crisis and Rising Rents in Europe

Q1. What is your main profile?

Single option

• Student
• Researcher / academic
• Public sector / local authority
• Civil society / NGO
• Housing / urban planning professional
• Private sector
• Citizen / resident
• Other
• Prefer not to say

Q2. In which type of area do you mainly live or work?

Single option

• Capital city or major metropolitan area
• Medium-sized city
• Small town
• Rural area
• Coastal / island / tourist area
• I move between several types of areas
• Prefer not to say

Q3. In your view, how serious is the housing affordability crisis in Europe today?

Single option

• 1 = Not serious
• 2 = Slightly serious
• 3 = Moderately serious
• 4 = Very serious
• 5 = Extremely serious

Q4. In your view, housing in Europe has become:

Single option

• Mainly a problem for low-income households
• A problem for low- and middle-income households
• A problem affecting almost everyone
• A problem only in some cities or regions
• I am unsure

Q5. Which groups do you think are most affected by the housing crisis?

Multiple option

• Young people and students
• Low-income households
• Middle-income households
• Single-parent families
• Essential workers
• Migrants and minorities
• People facing discrimination
• People with disabilities
• Homeless people
• Elderly people
• Rural communities
• Residents of tourist areas

Q6. What do you see as the main causes of the housing crisis?

Multiple option

• Lack of affordable housing supply
• Rising construction and renovation costs
• Low wages compared with housing costs
• Short-term rentals and tourism pressure
• Real estate speculation and financialisation
• Insufficient public investment
• Administrative and planning barriers
• Poorly regulated rental markets
• Energy renovation costs
• Discrimination in access to housing

Q7. How much do you agree with the following statement? “The housing crisis is not only an economic issue, but also a social and democratic issue.”

Single option

• 1 = Strongly disagree
• 2 = Disagree
• 3 = Neutral / unsure
• 4 = Agree
• 5 = Strongly agree

Q8. Housing should mainly be considered as:

Single option

• A basic human right
• A social need requiring strong public intervention
• A market good that should be regulated only when necessary
• A mixed issue: both a right and a market good
• I am unsure

Q9. How much do you agree with the following statement? “Public authorities should intervene more strongly when housing becomes unaffordable.”

Single option

• 1 = Strongly disagree
• 2 = Disagree
• 3 = Neutral / unsure
• 4 = Agree
• 5 = Strongly agree

Q10. Which type of public action should be prioritised?

Multiple option

• Building more affordable and social housing
• Renovating and reusing existing buildings
• Regulating short-term rentals
• Limiting harmful speculation
• Supporting young people and students
• Protecting tenants and vulnerable households
• Increasing public and EU funding
• Improving data and transparency on housing markets
• Fighting discrimination in access to housing
• Supporting rural and depopulating areas

Q11. What should be done first to increase housing supply?

Single option

• Build new affordable housing
• Renovate empty or poor-quality housing
• Bring vacant homes back into use
• Simplify planning and building permits
• Support cooperative and non-profit housing
• Encourage private construction with affordability conditions
• I am unsure

Q12. How much do you agree with the following statement? “Renovation and energy efficiency policies should never increase housing costs for low-income households.”

Single option

• 1 = Strongly disagree
• 2 = Disagree
• 3 = Neutral / unsure
• 4 = Agree
• 5 = Strongly agree

Q13. Short-term rentals should be more strictly regulated when they reduce access to long-term housing.

Single option

• 1 = Strongly disagree
• 2 = Disagree
• 3 = Neutral / unsure
• 4 = Agree
• 5 = Strongly agree

Q14. Public authorities should have better data on vacant homes, property ownership, rents, transactions and large investors.

Single option

• 1 = Strongly disagree
• 2 = Disagree
• 3 = Neutral / unsure
• 4 = Agree
• 5 = Strongly agree

Q15. What kind of investment do you consider most legitimate in housing policy?

Multiple option

• Public investment in social housing
• EU funding for affordable housing
• Public-private partnerships with affordability conditions
• Cooperative and non-profit housing models
• Private investment with strong regulation
• Private investment with limited public intervention
• I am unsure

Q16. At which level should housing policy mainly be addressed?

Single option

• Local / municipal level
• Regional level
• National level
• European Union level
• Shared action between all levels
• I am unsure

Q17. How much do you agree with the following statement? “The European Union should play a stronger role in addressing the housing crisis, even if housing policy remains mainly a national, regional and local competence.”

Single option

• 1 = Strongly disagree
• 2 = Disagree
• 3 = Neutral / unsure
• 4 = Agree
• 5 = Strongly agree

Q18. If difficult choices have to be made, which priority should come first?

Single option

• Increase housing supply as fast as possible
• Protect tenants and vulnerable households
• Regulate tourism-related housing pressure
• Limit speculation and financialisation
• Support young people and students
• Reduce energy costs through renovation
• Preserve local autonomy in housing policy
• I am unsure