When Jennifer Brame, a social psychologist working in Utrecht, was asked what cities should keep in mind when designing services for people in poverty, she paused on the premise of the question itself. “People in poverty, as if there’s a clear line between people in poverty and people not in poverty.”
This question framed the session on ‘Cities leading the fight against poverty’ at the Eurocities Annual Conference in Utrecht.
“When talking about poverty, we focus on income and the increase of income,” she explained, “but the other life domains don’t make it so easy to just increase income.” Health, family responsibilities, housing, and access to services all shape what is actually possible.
“It is quite a gradual slope into poverty, but it’s a much steeper climb out from it.” Many people take steps forward while still being defined by their situation, still navigating barriers that do not disappear overnight.
Poverty is shifting in cities
Across European cities, poverty is taking on a different shape.
In Utrecht, Deputy Mayor Linda Voortman described a situation that is becoming increasingly familiar: while some indicators suggest stability, they do not capture the full picture. “Poverty is decreasing in scale, but is becoming more severe and persistent for the group that stays behind,” she said.
This group is smaller, but faces deeper and longer-lasting difficulties. In Utrecht, there is a “permanent group… permanently stuck in poverty”, often relying on municipal support over many years. Their situation reflects barriers that accumulate rather than disappear over time. In response, Utrecht has also focused on improving access to existing support, including awareness campaigns on social rights, outreach through trusted local actors, and efforts to simplify administrative procedures for social benefits.
The geography of poverty is also becoming more pronounced. In Utrecht, nearly half of all low-income households are concentrated in a limited number of neighbourhoods. These patterns influence access to services, education and opportunities, shaping outcomes over the long term.
This trend is reflected across Europe. Data from the Eurocities Pulse survey shows that many cities expect gaps related to income, wealth and housing to widen in the coming decade. Around half anticipate growing income inequalities, while housing affordability stands out as a rising concern in more than half of cities.
Pressure points: housing, cost of living, and insecure work
Across the session, three pressures came up repeatedly when cities described what is shaping poverty today: housing, the rising cost of living, and the changing nature of work.
Housing stands out as the most immediate strain. According to the Eurocities Pulse survey, more than half of cities expect housing affordability gaps to widen in the next decade, making it the top concern among mayors. Cities are already facing rising rents, limited supply and growing competition for affordable homes. And these pressures are not evenly felt. They weigh most heavily on households already facing financial insecurity, often reinforcing the concentration of poverty in specific areas.
It is quite a gradual slope into poverty, but it’s a much steeper climb out from it.
At the same time, work is no longer a reliable safeguard against hardship. Katarina Ivankovic‑Knežević, Director for Social Rights and Inclusion in the Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission, pointed to a reality that challenges long-standing assumptions about employment: “We still have 8.7% of our working age population who is working but not earning enough for daily living or for decent living or for dignified living.” Access to jobs remains essential, but the quality of those jobs increasingly determines whether people can cover basic needs.
This shift is reflected in local experiences. Myriam Bencharaa, Vice-President of Lyon Metropole and Chair of the Eurocities Social Affairs Forum, highlighted how employment and skills remain central to social inclusion, while recognising that many people face multiple barriers at once. “We don’t want any jobs, we want quality jobs,” she said, stressing the importance of stable, adequately paid work that allows people to build secure lives.
Running through both housing and work is the broader impact of the cost-of-living crisis. Cities described the cumulative effects of recent shocks, from the pandemic to rising energy prices. Katarina Ivankovic‑Knežević referred to a “polycrisis environment” since 2020, with pressures showing up across daily expenses and public services. Households already on tight budgets face difficult trade-offs, while cities are seeing increasing demand for support.
These pressures do not operate in isolation. Housing costs affect access to jobs and education. Low or unstable income limits housing options. Rising living costs stretch household budgets further. Together, they create a context where setbacks are harder to absorb and recovery takes longer. This highlights that barriers are not only about the lack of support, but also about how accessible and understandable systems are in practice.
Poverty is shaped by more than income
Katarina Ivankovic‑Knežević described this as a need to look across the full course of life and the transitions within it. A child growing up without stable housing or access to education faces barriers that carry into adulthood. A young person without those foundations can struggle to access stable work. Later in life, gaps in income and care accumulate, often leading to financial insecurity in older age. This approach also reflects a dual objective: preventing poverty from emerging over time while ensuring adequate support for those already experiencing it.
This interconnected reality is also visible in local practice. Myriam Bencharaa highlighted how people seeking work often face additional challenges beyond employment itself. Health issues, housing problems or family responsibilities can all affect whether someone can take up training or a job. “When people… are looking at their employment… sometimes they have different barriers and employment is not the one barrier,” she explained. This also underlines the close link between economic and social policy, as labour market dynamics, skills development and economic transition directly shape the risk of poverty.
Poverty is decreasing in scale, but is becoming more severe and persistent for the group that stays behind
Access to services is another key factor. In Florence, Mayor Sara Funaro, Eurocities Shadow Commissioner for Social Inclusion, warned that digital systems can unintentionally create new obstacles. Without the right support, people may struggle to complete applications or access entitlements. In some cases, they may give up altogether or rely on others to navigate essential services. This adds another layer of inequality, particularly for older residents, people with limited digital skills, and newcomers.
In Sofia, Deputy Mayor Ivan Goychev underlined the role technology can play when designed with inclusion in mind. “The technology should always bridge the gap,” he said, highlighting the need for digital tools that are simple, intuitive and accessible for everyone. This reinforces the need to design services that are not only digital by default, but accessible by design, combining technological solutions with human support.
Gender also plays a central role in shaping how poverty is experienced over time. Annette Christie Bailie, Deputy Mayor in Glasgow described how care responsibilities continue to fall disproportionately on women, affecting their access to stable work and long-term financial security. This has consequences not only for individuals, but for families and future generations, as inequalities are passed on over time.
This interconnected reality also plays out from an early stage in life. In Milan, Vice Mayor Anna Scavuzzo highlighted how disadvantages build up over time, starting in childhood. “Poverty starts early,” she noted, pointing to the combined effects of economic hardship, social isolation and limited access to opportunities. Her warning was clear: “poverty brings poverty,” as early disadvantages can carry through education, employment and into later life. This focus on early intervention is also reflected at European level, notably through the European Child Guarantee, which aims to ensure access to essential services such as education, childcare and healthcare, while supporting parents’ participation in the labour market.
Poverty reflects a combination of pressures that build up across different parts of life. Addressing one element in isolation rarely leads to lasting change. Instead, cities are working with a more joined-up view, recognising how these domains connect and how they shape people’s opportunities over time.
Where poverty takes root
Where people live shapes how poverty is experienced. In Utrecht, poverty is concentrated in specific areas, with nearly half of low-income households located in a limited number of neighbourhoods.
Linda Voortman reflected on how early these differences begin to matter. “The neighbourhood you are born in has implications on your chances later on in life,” she said. That link between place and opportunity connects housing conditions, education, public services and local environments, all of which contribute to how people navigate poverty.
People in poverty told us they are not visible… not heard. And even when they are heard, they are not understood
Similar dynamics are visible in other cities. In Vantaa, Mayor Pekka Timonen described how growing segregation is reshaping the city, with widening divides in income and access to opportunities. “You have to have a very holistic approach… to understand the nature of the poverty, and then the area,” he said.
Cities are adapting their approaches around this reality. In Munich, efforts focus on avoiding concentrations of disadvantage by creating mixed neighbourhoods that combine social, cooperative and private housing. Access to transport is part of this strategy, ensuring residents can reach jobs and services regardless of income. As City Councillor Sybille Stöhr stressed, “it’s so important to get access to everyone to transport to avoid poverty.”
Cities also emphasised the importance of using data to better understand how poverty is distributed across neighbourhoods and population groups, allowing for more targeted and effective responses.
Local services also play an essential role. In Vantaa, the focus is on distributing high-quality services across all parts of the city, alongside targeted initiatives such as support for children’s activities. “Make sure that you have best schools in worst areas,” Timonen emphasised.
What cities need to go further
Cities are already adapting how they address poverty, but they are also clear about the limits they face.
According to the Eurocities Pulse survey, progress is slowed by unstable funding, a shortage of affordable housing, complex rules, and weak coordination across levels of government. Housing remains the most pressing gap, with demand outpacing supply and services under increasing pressure.
Cities are calling for changes at European level. The strongest ask is for direct funding mechanisms, alongside more predictable, multiannual funding and simpler access. Many also highlight the need for upfront financing rather than reimbursement.
Access to investment, particularly for housing, is another priority. Cities are seeking tools to build and renovate affordable homes at scale, and programmes that better match local realities.
We don’t want any jobs, we want quality jobs
Cities are already testing solutions, adapting services, and working closely with communities. What they need now is the ability to sustain and expand these approaches over time.
A different way of designing policy
Beyond specific measures, there is also the need for a shift in how poverty policies are designed.
One element is the importance of listening more closely to people directly affected. Katarina Ivankovic‑Knežević reflected on consultations carried out as part of the EU’s anti-poverty strategy, noting what participants shared about their experiences: “They said that they are not visible, that they are not heard. And even if they are heard, they are not understood.”
Annette Christie also underscored this point: “Listening has been essential. Not just to professional stakeholders… but to those experiencing poverty, balancing care, or facing barriers to work. Their lived experience has shaped more responsive and practical policies and programmes.”
This has implications for how policies are developed and implemented. It calls for systems that are informed by lived experience, and for ongoing dialogue rather than one-off consultations.
Another shift is the move towards a life-cycle perspective. The EU’s anti-poverty strategy brings together actions that span childhood, working age and older age, while also focusing on the transitions between these stages. The aim is to address how disadvantages accumulate over time, and where interventions can make the greatest difference.
Poverty brings poverty
This perspective aligns with what cities are already seeing on the ground. Early disadvantages can shape educational outcomes, limit access to work, and lead to financial insecurity later in life. At the same time, people already living in poverty need immediate support. Katarina Ivankovic‑Knežević highlighted this dual approach clearly: policies must combine prevention with support for those currently affected, rather than focusing on only one of these strands.
Across both EU and local levels, there is a gradual move towards more integrated approaches. These bring together different sectors, such as employment, housing, health, education, and aim to respond to the full range of factors that shape poverty. This way of working is more complex, but it better reflects the realities people are experiencing in European cities.
These discussions point to a clear message: tackling poverty requires long-term, integrated approaches that connect policies across sectors, levels of government, and stages of life, and that place listening to people with lived experience at the centre of policy design and implementation.
