Housing issue of young people in the WB6 – How to Solve It?

[erdoganr]

Public housing should be a priority. Right now, if you can’t afford private rent, there are no alternatives. Other countries have successful models of state-funded affordable housing—why can’t we?

[aleksltd]

Because it’s not profitable. Governments here prefer to leave everything to the market, even when the market is clearly failing. We need long-term urban planning strategies that focus on housing affordability instead of just profit-driven development.

[erdoganr]

We also need to shift the mindset. Too many people believe that housing is just another investment opportunity when it should be seen as a basic right. Until we change how we think about housing, we’ll keep having the same problems.

[stefanpeca]

Agreed. The first step is raising awareness. If more people understood the root causes of the crisis, maybe we could push for real change. Thanks for the discussion, everyone—let’s keep this conversation going!

[danicamaks]

I wanted to start a discussion about the worsening housing crisis in the Western Balkans. Finding an affordable place to live—whether renting or buying—feels nearly impossible. High prices, low wages, and poor regulations are making it harder for young people to become independent. What are the main causes, and what can be done about it?

[bleriana6]

The biggest problem is poor urban planning. Cities like Belgrade, Sarajevo, and Skopje have expanded rapidly, but infrastructure hasn’t kept up. There aren’t enough new residential buildings to meet demand, and the ones that are built are mostly high-end apartments meant for investors, not average people. Without proper planning, we’ll keep seeing overcrowded areas with skyrocketing prices.

[nemanjam]

I think a big issue is how hard it is to get a mortgage. In Western Europe, banks offer reasonable loan terms, but here, interest rates are crazy high, and wages are too low to even qualify for a decent loan. So we’re stuck renting indefinitely, but rent prices keep rising too. It feels like we’re locked out of homeownership completely.

[die5a]

Housing prices aren’t just high because of supply and demand—there’s also the issue of foreign investment. People from wealthier countries, as well as expats with foreign salaries, are buying up apartments, often as vacation homes or investments. That drives up prices for locals. In some countries, like Canada and New Zealand, they’ve introduced restrictions on foreign buyers. Maybe we need something similar.

[jelenadj]

I agree, but there’s another problem—housing is being treated as a business rather than a basic need. Many landlords own multiple apartments and rent them out at insanely high prices. There are no real rent controls, no protections for tenants, and no incentives to offer affordable housing. So we have a market where housing is seen as a way to make money, rather than a fundamental human right.

[martabab]

That’s a really important point. If landlords can keep raising rent without limits, it’s impossible for young people to plan their futures. In some places, like Germany, rent increases are strictly controlled, and long-term leases are common. Here, landlords can raise rent by 50% overnight if they feel like it.

[lindonn]

Another thing no one talks about is the poor quality of construction. Some of these new buildings go up so fast that they start falling apart within a few years. Meanwhile, older buildings don’t get renovated because tenants can’t afford the costs. We’re ending up with cities full of overpriced but low-quality apartments.

[stanav]

And let’s not forget that a lot of young people have to live with their parents well into their 30s because moving out is financially impossible. That creates other social and psychological challenges—lack of independence, stress from family expectations, and difficulty starting your own life.

[dankom]

Another long-term consequence is brain drain. When young people realize they’ll never be able to afford a home, they start looking abroad. Countries with more affordable housing and better wages seem like the only way to escape financial insecurity. It’s not just about jobs—people are leaving because they don’t see a future here.

[joksa9]

Exactly! And yet, governments do nothing. Instead of investing in affordable housing projects or offering financial support for first-time buyers, they just let the free market decide. The result? Entire generations unable to afford basic housing while a few wealthy investors control most of the market.

[kadri6]

So what solutions do we have? More housing development? Rent controls? Restrictions on foreign buyers?

[sneki]

We need all of that. More state-supported housing projects, limits on rent increases, and better mortgage conditions for young people. Other countries have done it—why can’t we?

[dzejlar]

I think financial education is also key. A lot of people don’t understand how mortgages, loans, or rent agreements work. Schools should teach financial literacy so young people can make informed housing decisions.

[Maliq99]

But at the end of the day, we need real political action. If housing remains a playground for the rich, young people will keep leaving, and this crisis will only get worse.

[andreatra]

It’s time to stop seeing housing as a luxury and start treating it as a basic right. Otherwise, in a few years, our cities will be empty of young people, and only the wealthy will remain.

[BojanTwist]

The housing crisis among young people in the Western Balkans isn’t just a problem of supply—it's deeply tied to economic inequality, underemployment, and outdated urban planning. One major issue is that our cities have not evolved to match demographic changes. Most available housing is either old and deteriorating or being built as luxury units that are unaffordable for the average young worker. We need urban policies that prioritize affordable and cooperative housing models. That means funding from governments, legal support for co-housing initiatives, and tax incentives for developers to build starter homes, not just villas.