Gabriela Firea proposes European solutions for affordable housing for families and workers in essential sectors

PSD MEP Gabriela Firea presented several proposals on Wednesday, during debates in the European Parliament on the Affordable Housing Act, to tackle the housing crisis and implement these measures in Romania. Firea argues that solutions must be tailored to the needs of each member state and supported through European funds.

Together with a delegation of Romanian senators, the MEP presented European Commissioner Dan Jørgensen with a plan last week for developing affordable housing. The measures include providing European loans for the purchase or construction of affordable homes, as well as developing housing for doctors, nurses and teachers.

Firea also proposes converting unused public or industrial buildings into living spaces, strengthening blocks at seismic risk and installing lifts in old apartment buildings through the social-democratic “Lift for Life” project. The list also includes developing student housing, including for married students.

The MEP referred to the situation in Romania, where, despite the high homeownership rate, four in ten people live in overcrowded conditions. Firea backed her proposals with her administrative experience and mentioned the Family Start and Student Invest programmes, whose funds were quickly exhausted amid high demand.