European Commission believes local accommodation "is part of the problem" in cities like Lisbon

The European Commissioner for Housing, Dan Jørgensen, considered today that short-term rental accommodation is "part of the problem" of the housing crisis in the European Union, referring to the "quite concerning" situation in cities like Lisbon. At a press conference, the commissioner stressed that Europe is facing a housing crisis and that action is needed to resolve this issue. Jørgensen highlighted that, in the Portuguese capital, rents increased 103% over ten years, data that illustrates the severity of the situation in the country. This position from the European Commission comes in a context of growing concern about access to housing in several European cities, where the growth of tourism and short-term rental has contributed to rising prices.