Europe’s housing costs akin to ‘new pandemic’, warns Barcelona mayor

Jaume Collboni and 16 other city leaders urge EU to unleash billions in funding as it prepares to tackle crisis

• The Guardian view on Europe's housing crisis: time for the EU to get radical

The soaring cost of housing is akin to a new pandemic" sweeping across Europe, the mayor of Barcelona has said, as he and 16 other city leaders urged the EU to respond to the crisis by unleashing billions in funding for the hardest-hit areas.

The EU is expected to present its first-ever housing plan on Tuesday, after consultations with experts, stakeholders and the public. For months, those on the frontlines of the crisis have warned the problem is too big to ignore.