While there is no overall shortage of housing in the EU, three million people are homeless and 18 million are housed in inadequate accommodation. This work seeks an understanding of the situation through a detailed analysis of the European housing market in both the private and state spheres.

While there is no overall shortage of housing in the EU, three million people are homeless and 18 million are housed in inadequate accommodation, that is, housing which lacks basic amenities, is structurally unsound, overcrowded, or does not offer security of tenure. This work seeks an understanding of the situation through a detailed analysis of the European housing market in both the private and state spheres. It offers an EU-wide examination of housing provision, its changing nature and impact on homelessness. The book identifies the institutional changes and policy prescriptions that are necessary to manage the demands of homelessness and inadequate housing among Europe's most vulnerable people. The following themes are explored in-depth: the expansion of an increasingly unregulated private market; the contraction of the state sector; the (re)emergence of voluntary organizations; and the role of vulnerable people themselves. While the focus of this book is on identifying European-wide trends and developments, it maintains a sensitive approach to the specificities of individual nations and provides a range of examples of housing policy and practice from across the EU.

Introduction
The right to housing and access to housing in the European Union
Commodification and access to housing
Access to affordable housing
Coping with vulnerability
Access to housing and the European social agenda
Conclusions