Europe’s Housing Challenge: The Market and the State as Allies, not Rivals

‘Europe’s Housing Challenge: The Market and the State as Allies, not Rivals'

Date and Time: Thursday 24 September 2026, 7:00 PM - 8.30PM

Location: Trinity College Dublin - Arts Block - JM Synge Theatre

Overview

Europe’s housing crisis is real, but who’s responsible for solving it?

For younger people across Europe, finding somewhere affordable to live has become one of the defining challenges of our time. Economist Ronan Lyons argues that the answer lies not in choosing between the market and the state, but in encouraging both to pull in the same direction. In Europe, that idea of market and state as allies, not rivals, is a core value. In practice, it’s proving harder to deliver. Can it be done?

About the Speaker

Ronan Lyons is Professor in Economics at Trinity College Dublin. His research focuses on housing markets, urban economics and economic history. He is a consultant to the IMF on residential property prices, a frequent contributor to national and international media on Irish housing and the broader economy, and the author of the quarterly Daft.ie Reports. He was a member of Ireland's 2022-2023 Housing Commission, advising government on housing policy.