EU homelessness drive puts focus on Cyprus poverty challenges

Preventing homelessness and improving access to affordable housing took centre stage in Brussels this week, as the European Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs Committee (EMPL) examined new European Union measures against housing exclusion against the backdrop of Cyprus maintaining a lower-than-average poverty risk. The discussion focused on preventing homelessness, supporting people living in insecure housing conditions and strengthening social and affordable housing policies across the bloc. Opening the meeting, European Parliament Employment and Social Affairs Committee chair Li Andersson said homelessness extends beyond housing policy and is fundamentally linked to social inclusion, prevention and building resilient, cohesive societies. She added that while housing policy primarily falls within the competence of member states, the European Commission’s proposal demonstrates how the EU can contribute through coordination, the exchange of experience and the promotion of effective policy approaches. European Parliament housing committee vice-president Ciaran Mullooly welcomed the joint work between the two committees, saying housing policy and social inclusion are inherently connected. Mullooly recalled that the European Commission presented the proposed Council Recommendation on May 6, 2026, alongside the EU’s first anti-poverty strategy. He said 92.7 million people, representing 20.9 per cent of the EU population, were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2025, while around 1 million people across the union were homeless. Referring to the housing committee’s own analysis, he added that house prices across the EU have increased by more than 60 per cent over the past decade, while rents have risen by more than 20 per cent. He also cited estimates showing that around 1.3 million people, including almost 400,000 children, sleep on the streets or in emergency accommodation every night across the European Union. Mullooly welcomed the proposal’s emphasis on housing-first approaches, eviction prevention and increasing the supply of social and affordable housing, while cautioning that, because the recommendation is not legally binding, its success will ultimately depend on implementation by member states. Representing the European Commission, social policies, Child Guarantee and Social Protection Committee unit head Jiri Svarc said the proposal is based on Principle 19 of the European Pillar of Social Rights, which recognises access to social housing and support for homeless people as a social right. Svarc said the EU’s anti-poverty strategy identifies homelessness and housing exclusion as among the most severe forms of poverty. He also recalled the 2021 Lisbon Declaration, under which member states, EU institutions and civil society committed themselves to working towards ending homelessness by 2030. “The recommendation aims to support member states in preventing housing exclusion and addressing the needs of people experiencing homelessness or living in insecure housing conditions,” Svarc said. He explained that the proposal prioritises prevention through early identification of people at risk, early intervention, stronger coordination between services, evidence-based policies and measures to prevent eviction. The recommendation also calls for targeted support for vulnerable groups, including children, families with children, young people leaving care and other groups at heightened risk, while addressing discrimination and stigma. It further promotes immediate and person-centred support for homeless people, access to emergency accommodation and long-term housing solutions accompanied by social services. The proposal also covers access to appropriate and secure housing, including social housing, emergency accommodation, cooperative and community housing schemes, as well as innovative co-housing models. Its final pillar focuses on governance, monitoring and evaluation, with progress reviews every five years and greater involvement of people with lived experience of homelessness in shaping future policies. The debate comes as Cyprus continues to perform better than the EU average on poverty and social exclusion, although challenges remain. According to the latest Eurostat figures, 17.1 per cent of Cyprus’ population, or approximately 167,000 people, were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2025. While the proportion remained unchanged from the previous year, the total number of people increased by around 3,000, reflecting population growth rather than a deterioration in the overall rate. Across the EU, the corresponding figure stood at 20.9 per cent, equivalent to 92.7 million people. In Cyprus, women remained more exposed to poverty or social exclusion than men, with 18.7 per cent of women affected compared with 15.5 per cent of men. National data also showed that severe material and social deprivation declined to 2.2 per cent in 2025 from 2.5 per cent a year earlier, while the share of people living in households with very low work intensity remained stable at 4.2 per cent. What is more, Cyprus has also continued to perform strongly in protecting younger people. Earlier Eurostat figures showed that the island recorded the second lowest child poverty or social exclusion rate in the EU, with 14.8 per cent of people under 18 affected, well below the bloc-wide average of 24.2 per cent. At the same time, however, older people remain considerably more vulnerable, with 31.5 per cent of those aged over 64 in Cyprus at risk of poverty or social exclusion, significantly above the EU average of 19.2 per cent. The latest parliamentary discussions underline the European Union’s growing focus on housing affordability as a key element of social policy, with the commission seeking to encourage earlier intervention and better coordinated support before housing insecurity develops into homelessness.