Call for Authors – Liberal Solutions to the Housing Crisis in Europe

Call for authors 

Today Europe faces many challenges and among them hitting close to home is the growing housing crisis. As property prices and rents escalate, and as regulatory barriers hamper the construction of new homes, securing affordable and accessible housing has become one of the most urgent socio-economic challenges across Member States. 

The European Liberal Forum (ELF), in collaboration with its partners, is launching a call for contributions to a collective volume focused on liberal solutions to Europe’s housing crisis.  

This publication seeks to champion liberal values — individual freedom, open markets, competition, innovation, and subsidiarity — offering forward-looking solutions to the intertwined problems of housing affordability, availability, and sustainability. 

Scope and Objectives: 

This publication will thoroughly diagnose the housing crisis, focusing on the critical issues of affordability gaps and supply shortages. It will examine the regulatory, procedural, and financial barriers that impede the expansion of housing supply, providing a clear understanding of the obstacles that need to be overcome. The publication will propose market-driven, socially inclusive, and innovative solutions to address these challenges. Additionally, it will showcase best practices from Member States, highlighting successful models of reform that can serve as examples for broader policy change. 

Topics:  

Defining and measuring housing affordability and housing shortages 
The role of the EU in housing: competence, funding mechanisms, coordination 
Unnecessary restrictions and regulatory barriers: How to unblock supply 
Financing housing: public-private partnerships, private investment innovations 
Social inclusion and intergenerational access to housing: youth, migrants, vulnerable groups 
Housing and environmental sustainability: ensuring energy efficiency without pricing people out 
Local and municipal innovations: subsidiarity in action 
Case studies of successful liberal housing reforms across Europe 

All contributions must integrate a liberal spirit and focus on policy solutions. The submissions must be in English. Full chapters should be between 2,000 and 3,000 words. 

Timeline:  

May 2025 – Launch of internal call for papers and targeted outreach 
June 2025 – Selection of contributors and kick-off meeting 
June–July 2025 – Chapter drafting and internal peer review 
September 2025 – Final editing and layout 
October 2025 – Publication and launch event in Brussels 

Submission Guidelines 

Interested authors are invited to submit: 

An abstract of 300–400 words outlining the proposed topic, structure, and argument 
A short biography (max 100 words) highlighting relevant expertise and affiliation Please send your submission to Dr Antonios Nestoras at anestoras@liberalforum.eu (cc: Maartje Schulz mschulz@liberalforum.eu) 

Selection Criteria 

Submissions will be evaluated based on: 

Relevance to the topic and liberal framing 
Originality and clarity of the argument 
Geographic and thematic diversity 
Balance between theoretical depth and practical applicability 

Download the Concept Note for more information