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“There are many factors which contribute to the housing crisis. Maybe it is a lack of supply, a lack of new buildings. But in fact, I think it is also a lack of smartness—smartness in how we really use our existing housing stock," Oliver Rapf, the Executive Director of the Buildings Performance Institute Europe

For people across Europe, purchasing a property seems like a distant dream—urban housing costs are often multiples of the average salary, making affordability a serious problem.

Political parties have proposed various solutions to the housing crisis, including rolling back sustainability regulations on buildings. This, they argue, will “unleash” the construction sector, making it easier to build a large number of cheap homes.

Opponents of this strategy argue that it would significantly impact greenhouse gas emissions, exploding Europe’s carbon budget. Over the long run, when the added expense of higher heating and lighting bills is factored in, these homes may also be more expensive than originally promised.

“We definitely have the knowledge to solve the housing crisis and the political will, in my opinion, is emerging… A sustainable and affordable housing plan will improve the livelihood of all European citizens.”

The term “sufficiency” has additionally entered the debate—the concept that existing building space, if used more efficiently, can meet the needs of far more people than it currently does. The rise of working from home, for example, has altered the occupancy rates of offices, leading in some cases to their conversion to residential units.

To discuss how we can tackle Europe’s housing crisis without exacerbating the climate crisis, the concept of sufficiency, and more, Oliver Rapf, the Executive Director of the Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE), an independent think-tank, joins The Urban Report.

“Our limits are not defined by the structure which we have, but simply by our creativity. And I think that there are many architects, developers with a vision out there who can make a difference if they are provided the opportunity by the municipalities.”

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