What do people give up to afford a home?
A new Habitat for Humanity study finds that people around the world are cutting back on food, using savings and changing plans for the future to afford housing.
Three in four people surveyed worldwide said they had cut at least one expense to afford housing. One in three spent less on food; nearly a third used savings or emergency funds, and 31% took on extra work. Nearly half, 48%, worry that one unexpected problem could threaten their housing security.
Those trade-offs are the focus of Home at What Cost?, Habitat for Humanity’s new global research, released on World Habitat Day. The study draws on nationally representative surveys of more than 30,000 people in 22 countries – including Poland, Ireland and Great Britain. It also includes targeted low-income samples and face-to-face interviews with people living in informal arrangements, whose experiences can be missed in conventional polling.
Across Europe, the findings echo a wider regional reality: many people feel that decent, affordable housing is increasingly out of reach. More than half of respondents across surveyed European countries say the housing system in their country is not working for them, and many feel that rising costs are limiting their choices about work, family and the future.
The data is striking: 56% globally believe the housing system in their country is broken or does not work – including 74% in Ireland, 55% in Great Britain and 64% in Poland. These figures underscore a shared sense across Europe that current housing systems are failing to meet people’s needs.
Housing costs are shaping plans for the future
Across the survey, 56% said housing costs make it difficult to consider starting a family. The share rises to 62% among Gen Z and Millennials, compared with 46% among older generations.
That finding adds a household perspective to Europe’s demographic debate. Eurostat puts the EU fertility rate at 1.34 live births per woman in 2024, its lowest level in the series since 2001. As Europe ages, questions about the future workforce, pensions and public services are becoming harder to ignore. The study points to housing as one factor people consider when deciding whether to start a family.
Younger generations in Europe feel these pressures even more sharply. Many report higher levels of stress, delayed life plans and difficulty imagining a stable future because of housing costs.
Food is among the first things people cut to afford housing
Housing costs can leave households with less to spend on basic needs such as food. Globally, one in three respondents said they had spent less on food to afford housing. In Ireland, 35% said they had cut food spending; in Great Britain, 28%. In Poland, 17% said they had done so overall, including 34% of renters.
People are using savings and working extra to cover housing
Globally, 32% said they had used savings or emergency funds to afford housing, while 31% had taken on extra work. Housing prices and rents are rising, while wages are not keeping pace. Many people are drawing on savings or working more to cover housing costs, while worrying about whether they could manage another setback.
Across Europe, people describe similar sacrifices – cutting back on food, delaying medical care, using savings or taking on extra work — simply to stay housed. These trade-offs show how deeply housing pressures shape daily life and well-being.
Housing pressure can affect health
Housing insecurity can affect people’s physical and mental health. Globally, 13% of respondents said housing costs had led them to avoid or delay medical care. And 35% said their housing situation was one of the biggest sources of stress in their lives.
Many Europeans also link decent housing with stability, mental health and the ability to plan ahead — reinforcing that housing is not just a financial issue but a foundation for well-being.
Housing is a foundation for a decent life
The findings show that housing affects much more than where people live. It can shape choices about health, work, family and everyday spending. A secure, affordable home can give people greater stability and confidence about the future.
“My hope for my generation is that we figure out the policy around housing, and we find a way to deliver affordable options.”
— Ksenia, Ireland
Explore the findings in Home at What Cost?
Read the full research at
habitat.org/HomeAtWhatCost.