Housing policy: Who Does It Best? - Part 2

Housing policy: Who Does It Best? - Part 2

Author: Katy Lee and Dominic Kraemer October 24, 2025 Duration: 46:11

Katz goes back to the drawing board. If the housing crisis is really about wealth inequality, doesn’t the policy we need to fix it… need to address wealth inequality? We go in deep, and what Katz finds makes us wonder: are we even having the right conversation when it comes to the housing crisis? 

 

If you're curious about where you stand on your country's wealth ladder, you can find the World Bank’s calculator here, which adjusts for things like home ownership. 

 

The intergenerational wealth audit that Molly co-authored, you can find here.

 

You can find one of the OECD’s reports on housing tax in Europe here.

 

You can find Cody’s book on housing shame here.

 

Interested in hearing more radio that looks at how politics gets into our intimate lives? Journalist Anna Sale’s book and podcast “about the things we think about a lot and need to talk about more” have been a huge inspiration.

 

If you want to know your renters' rights, many countries have renters' unions that give (legal) advice. Here's the Dutch one: Woonbond.

 

And most importantly, this series was fully funded by you - our listeners! Our generous crowdfunders hit our goal within two months, and made it possible for us to do extensive reporting fully independently. We couldn’t be more grateful. If you’re feeling inspired to support our ongoing work, please go to patreon.com/europeanspodcast. You can donate as little as 3 euros, less than an overpriced cappuccino! But you can also donate plenty more ;)

 

Want to support us in another way? Please consider telling one or two friends specifically about this episode, and sharing it with them. It is the most effective way for us to reach people!



Written, reported and produced by: Katz Laszlo

Editors: Jasmin Baoumy, Katy Lee

Editorial support: Dominic Kraemer, Morgan Childs, Uršula Zaletelj, Maja Stepančič

Sound design: Jesse Lou Lawson

Mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak

Music and SFX: Jim Barne, Epidemic, FreeSound.org

Artwork: RTiiiKA


Special thanks to: Vera Vrijmoeth, Georgia Walker, Cody Hochstenbach, Molly Broome, Juha Kahila, Ton Heijdra, Marie-Jeanne Dumont, Museum Het Schip, Woonbond, and the many more friends and strangers who talked to us about housing and money.

 

YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | hello@europeanspodcast.com


Every week, Katy Lee and Dominic Kraemer sit down to untangle the stories shaping the continent, moving beyond the headlines to find the human threads within European news, politics, and culture. Their conversations feel like joining two well-informed friends who are genuinely curious, offering clarity on complex political shifts in Brussels one moment and diving into a compelling film from Berlin or a novel from Lisbon the next. This isn't about dry analysis; it's about understanding the forces that define daily life from Dublin to Sofia. In this The Europeans podcast, you'll hear interviews with policymakers, artists, and everyday people, all contributing to a richer, more nuanced picture of a region in constant motion. The tone is engaging and accessible, designed for anyone who feels that Europe's narrative is too often reduced to stereotypes or institutional jargon. By weaving together current affairs with deeper cultural trends, each episode builds a more complete and surprisingly relatable portrait. If you've ever wanted to feel more connected to the ideas and debates circulating across the Channel and beyond, this is a consistent and thoughtful guide.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Europeans | European news, politics and culture
Podcast Episodes
Should Canada join the EU? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:36
Europe and Canada have a lot in common, from their headaches over Donald Trump to a shared belief in welfare states. If Australia can be a part of Eurovision, is there anything stopping us from welcoming our Canadian fri…
Putin's African antics, the death of Skype, and a Eurovision c-bomb [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:03
Thousands of kilometres from the devastating war it's been waging in Ukraine, Russia has involved itself in a swathe of other conflicts that attract much less attention: in Africa. Why? This week we speak to Beverly Ochi…
Big news for The Europeans! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:21
Producers Katz and Wojciech join Katy and Dominic to share a couple of nuggets of exciting news for The Europeans. You can find out all about our new partners at Euranet Plus, a network of radio stations across Europe, h…
Germany's elections: should we freak out or not? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:17
Germany just staged one of Europe's most crucial elections this year. The results are simultaneously shocking and not-shocking: shocking because the far-right made huge gains; not shocking because they are likely to deli…
Euro-defence, euro-booze and euro-TV [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:18
This week, the great transatlantic break-up. How can we make sense of the seismic shift in Europe's relationship with the US since Trump took power? What does it mean for Ukraine, and Europe's ability to defend itself fr…
Dark skies, cheap shopping and an EU laser show [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:40
Nocturnal tourism is supposedly one of the big travel trends of 2025, and from star-gazing to truffle-hunting, there are plenty of places in Europe to do it. But where is this craving for darkness coming from? This week…
Butterflies and bullied protesters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:18
Europe's rarest butterfly lives on the outskirts of a single town in North Macedonia. So why is it possible to find specimens of this incredibly endangered animal for sale online for 30 euros? This week we speak to Kiril…
The world needs more drag cows [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:30
In an otherwise miserable week, this podcast is delighted to bring you a joyful interview with a drag cow. At least, an interview with the person behind the cow: the Swiss artist, performer and animal rights activist Dan…
Russia's gas games [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:31
There's been a weird loophole in the war in Ukraine up until now. Nearly three years after Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine was still being paid to transport Russian gas for sale to Europe, all while Moscow continue…
Democratic salami and boiling frogs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:35
Between Elon Musk's meddling and Romania's election rollercoaster, the state of Europe's democracies feels a little scary at the start of 2025. This week we talk to Tom Theuns, author of a new book about Europe's failure…