NGOs Launch Declaration Calling for Right to Housing

On Thursday 9 July 2026, Amnesty International Luxembourg held a press conference to present the "Declaration for the Right to a Roof", an initiative calling for urgent action to address what it describes as Luxembourg's "permanent housing crisis".

The declaration, developed since November 2025 by Amnesty International Luxembourg and Solidaritéit mat den Heescherten in collaboration with a group of NGOs and grassroots organisations, outlines ten recommendations aimed at guaranteeing access to decent and affordable housing for everyone.

The organisations argued that, despite housing being one of the government's stated priorities, access to social and affordable housing remains a daily challenge for a growing share of the population. They described housing as a fundamental human right closely linked to dignity, security, health, education and the fight against poverty.

According to the declaration, the shortage of affordable housing has been exacerbated by population growth outpacing housing construction and by rising rents, disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups such as single-parent families, children and young people, third-country nationals and people experiencing homelessness.

Among the recommendations is a significant expansion of Luxembourg's public and affordable rental housing stock. The declaration notes that social housing currently represents only around 2% of the country's residential housing stock, well below the level seen in many other European countries. It also proposes progressive land taxation and inheritance tax in the direct line to discourage land hoarding and help finance additional public housing.

The declaration further calls for effective rent controls, stronger legal protections for tenants, increased emergency accommodation capacity and measures to reduce the number of vacant properties through better data collection, renovation support and incentives to bring empty homes back onto the market.

The organisations also highlighted the lack of comprehensive housing data, calling for a nationwide census of vacant homes, newly formed households and new housing developments to improve public policy.

Other proposals include simplifying access to rent subsidies, improving public awareness of housing rights and legal assistance, and encouraging alternative housing models such as intergenerational housing, housing cooperatives and participatory housing.

The "Declaration for the Right to a Roof" is now open for signature by civil society. It has already been endorsed by several organisations, including ASTI, CELL, Frères des Hommes Luxembourg, Friddens- a Solidaritéitsplattform Asbl, Innocence en Danger Luxembourg, Passerell and UNICEF Luxembourg, as well as around thirty individual signatories.