How Green Tape Stops Europe Building
20th November 2025
Europe has a housing crisis. In almost 40% of major European cities, houses are no longer affordable—meaning that the average income cannot cover rent or mortgage payments. In 47% of cities, housing is considered “at risk” of becoming unaffordable. And in just 14%, the housing market remains at an affordable level. The cause for this is at once highly complex and frustratingly simple—there aren’t enough homes.
In 76% of European metropolises, the main driver for rising prices is that demand exceeds supply. This can be partially blamed on high construction costs—something that 71% of cities flag as a major barrier to affordability. Third is land availability, a factor noted by 60% of cities. Housing, obviously, cannot be built if there is nowhere to build it.
There is one thread that runs through all these complaints—environmental regulations. Demand is outpacing supply because developments are being held up by ludicrous laws, on both a national and European Union level, that prioritise trees, animals, and even barren scrubland over human flourishing. These rules place immense burdens on developers and ring-fence land that could otherwise be used for much-needed housing and vital infrastructure.