To effectively address the housing crisis, Luxembourg must not only build more housing but also gain a better understanding of its housing stock. How many housing units actually exist? How many are occupied, vacant, or underoccupied? How many people live in them, and how many are still looking for stable housing? These questions are essential for tailoring public policies to the needs of the population.
Data that is still incomplete
The general population census of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg provides important information on housing and households. However, these data do not always allow for a precise understanding of the current use of the housing stock.
Luxembourg has detailed data on the characteristics of the occupied housing stock: floor area, number of rooms, occupancy status, density per occupant, and building type. However, information on the unused housing stock, units that are actually vacant, and the living situations of people without housing remains much more limited.
The data therefore exists to some extent, but it remains scattered, incomplete, or difficult to update. Without a comprehensive overview, it is more difficult to identify housing that could potentially be made available and to determine what types of housing are actually in short supply.
A reality that is difficult to measure
In June 2024, 238 homeless people were counted in Luxembourg City and Esch-sur-Alzette.¹ However, this figure is incomplete, as it is based on a count conducted at a single point in time and in only two cities. It does not cover all forms of homelessness, particularly “invisible homelessness”: people temporarily staying with relatives, living in squats, in informal housing arrangements, or in situations of extreme housing instability.
The fight against homelessness therefore requires a regular national census, based on a methodology that is consistent over time and covers the entire country. More comprehensive data is essential for tailoring shelter capacity, support services, and reintegration solutions to actual needs.
The role of the national registry
The National Building and Housing Registry (RNBL) project could help fill some of these gaps. By assigning a unique identifier to each building and each housing unit, it should make it easier to link housing units to their occupants and their intended use, identify unoccupied housing units more accurately, and better document room rentals. When cross-referenced with municipal data and other administrative sources, it could also improve our understanding of the location, size, condition, and occupancy status of the residential housing stock.
Such a data infrastructure would make it easier to identify vacant or underoccupied housing and would help to better guide, plan, and evaluate public housing policies.
Data to meet your needs
An effective housing policy cannot rely solely on the construction of new housing. It also requires reliable and up-to-date information on the existing housing stock, its condition, occupancy, and availability, in order to better match available resources with the actual needs of the population.
Better data, better understanding, better action: only then will Luxembourg be able to tailor its housing policy to the actual needs of its population.