The European housing crisis predominantly concerns affordability, with rising house prices and ongoing costs burdening families. This study delves into housing affordability trends, focusing on a housing costs-to-income ratio, including mortgage payments. Despite stable ratios across most European countries from 2010 to 2018, renters face increasing affordability challenges compared to mortgage owners. 

Economic factors and housing policies significantly impact affordability, with GDP and poverty levels influencing cost burdens. Renters consistently bear heavier housing costs, emphasising the need for increased affordable housing supply and policy interventions like allowances and rent controls to alleviate the growing concentration of affordability issues among renters across Europe.

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