Leveraging the potential of vacant and underoccupied buildings to create new affordable housing: from good practices to policy implementation

Extended abstract 7-094-26

With the deadline for draft National Building Renovation Plans (NBRPs) already passed—and final versions due by the end of 2026—Member States face a critical moment to translate ambition into action and deliver robust policies aligned with EU targets. At the same time, pressure to tackle the housing crisis calls for solutions that address both decarbonisation and the creation of affordable housing—in this context, sufficiency measures have received increasing attention from academia and policymakers alike. This session will examine whether and how Member States seize the opportunity to integrate sufficiency policies into the NBRPs, with a particular focus on unlocking the potential of vacant and under-occupied buildings.

Such an opportunity arises from the reference to sufficiency in the NBRP template published in Annex II of the EPBD, and because NBRPs are tools for Member States to implement policy suggestions made by the European Commission in the newly published European Affordable Housing Plan (EAHP), which recognises that maximising the efficient use of the existing building stock should be a priority, including repurposing and bringing vacant properties back into use.

Addressing vacancy and under-occupation is essential: 33% of the EU population lives in under-occupied homes, while 47.5 million dwellings remain vacant. Renovating and repurposing this existing stock can expand affordable housing supply, reduce material use and emissions, create local jobs, revitalise neighbourhoods, and curb urban sprawl.

The session will analyse selected NBRPs against key recommendations, including:

• Creation of a framework for consistent data collection on building use and with an obligation for the systematic monitoring of building usage to inform local and national policy making to tackle empty buildings;
• Planned measures and policies on vacancies and under-occupation, such as tax incentives to put back empty properties on the market, targeted funding for renovation and retrofitting, coupled with technical assistance and training to turn vacant spaces and underoccupied buildings into housing solutions.
• Alignment of the retrofitting/repurposing of buildings with social objectives, such as addressing housing exclusion and ensuring that the repurposed properties remain affordable in the long-term.

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