A recent HouseInc report analyses the factors behind the widening housing gap across Europe. The study identifies affordability pressures, limited responsiveness of housing supply, and uneven access to housing support schemes as key contributors to growing disparities. It notes that households with lower incomes face increasing barriers to securing adequate housing, including homes that meet modern energy‑efficiency standards.

Slow supply reactions to demand changes—linked to planning constraints, land speculation and market concentration—restrict access to suitable dwellings and hinder progress in energy‑efficient renovation, particularly in older or poorly performing buildings. Existing housing benefits often fail to address quality issues, including the condition and energy performance of dwellings.

Demographic trends, socio‑economic vulnerabilities and unequal access to information on housing support further intensify disparities. These factors affect households’ ability to access renovation programmes and financial schemes that could improve the energy performance of their homes.

Policy options include revising housing benefits to incorporate quality and energy‑efficiency criteria, encouraging renovation in the private rental sector, strengthening progressive taxation on property and capital gains, and increasing support for public, cooperative and non‑profit rental housing.