MEP Ó Ríordáin pushes first EU Housing Commissioner for action on homelessness

05 November 2024

Speaking today during the hearing of the EU Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dublin MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin says:

“I am proud that thanks to the efforts of our S&D Group, we have secured the first ever EU Commissioner for Housing. In Dan Jørgensen, I am confident we have a candidate who will deliver much-needed EU action to tackle the housing crisis.

“In the first meeting of the S&D Group that I attended after the EU elections I said that my three priorities for this term would be “housing, housing and housing”. I am happy to see that this message is getting through to the Commission, with Jørgensen referring to my call in his opening statement of the hearing today.

“One specific area I raised with the Commissioner Designate today was a key missing element of his mission letter from Ursula von der Leyen – that is homelessness.

“Europe has set itself the goal of eradicating homelessness by 2030. Instead of moving towards achieving this goal, we are moving in the wrong direction. Today I called on the Commission to scale up action on homelessness, in particular calling for more investment in Housing First programmes.

“Housing is the social justice issue of our generation. The EU must be an active participant in finding solutions to the housing crisis. I look forward to getting to work with Commissioner Jørgensen over the next five years.”

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