When we think about poverty, we often imagine someone simply not having enough money. But in reality, it shows up in many different, everyday ways. It can mean not being able to afford enough food or having to choose cheaper, less healthy options. It can mean people not turning on the heating during cold months because they can’t pay the energy bills. It can also look like not having stable housing, struggling to get around because transport is too expensive, or being left behind because you don’t have access to the internet or basic digital tools.
These are not abstract problems; they are things people in many European cities deal with every day. And because city governments are so close to the people facing these issues, they are often the first to notice the gaps and the first who need to respond.
That’s why cities play such a key role in finding practical, real-life solutions to poverty. They are not just the places where poverty happens; they are the places where solutions can be found and put into action.
A call for an integrated EU Anti-Poverty Strategy led by cities
As highlighted by Eurocities’ latest paper, ‘From crisis to action: A call for an integrated EU Anti-Poverty Strategy led by cities’, poverty touches many parts of daily life. It influences whether people can find a decent place to live, move around the city, afford good food, or stay connected in an increasingly digital world. And for groups like women, migrants, and people with disabilities, these obstacles are often even harder to overcome.
As cities work directly in all these areas, they are in a strong position to respond. They can spot where people are struggling, test practical solutions, and help shape wider national and EU policies based on what they learn on the ground.
The housing crisis
Housing is one of the biggest challenges European cities face, as outlined in Eurocities thematic report ‘Cities addressing the housing crisis: Innovative and integrated approaches’. In many cities, the cost of housing is rising faster than incomes, pushing more people into housing poverty. It is not just about finding a place to live, but about securing a home that is affordable, safe, and stable. In some cities, people are being pushed to the outskirts, making it harder to access jobs, healthcare and education.
Cities are increasingly prioritising housing as part of their anti-poverty strategies. Through social housing programmes and policies like Housing First, city governments are addressing homelessness and improving the stability of vulnerable groups.
Ensuring safe access to sustainable energy
Energy poverty is a growing issue in many European cities, with rising energy prices pushing vulnerable populations further into hardship. In 2020, 36 million Europeans could not afford to properly heat, cool or light their homes. While the shift to green energy is crucial for the environment, it can worsen these challenges if not managed carefully.
Decarbonisation policies can promote social fairness by lowering transport costs, improving public health, and making neighbourhoods safer and more connected, but only if vulnerable groups are not left behind. The green transition must not make inequalities worse; it needs to include measures to help low-income households adjust.
For example, Ghent’s ICCARus project provides financial support for low-income homeowners whose houses are in urgent need of repair. The initiative helps renovate homes, improving their safety, quality and energy efficiency. This project links housing refurbishment with social inclusion, ensuring that vulnerable homeowners do not feel isolated. This approach addresses both the physical and social dimensions of housing poverty.
Breaking the cycle of exclusion
For many people, the cost of getting around can be as much of a barrier as the cost of housing. When public transport is expensive, unreliable or inaccessible, people face significant challenges in reaching essential services, such as work, healthcare and education. Transport poverty disproportionately affects low-income communities, particularly in urban areas where living costs are high and public transport options are limited.
Cities are tackling this by offering affordable, accessible and diverse transport options, including walking, cycling, public transport and shared mobility solutions.
For example, Grenoble has introduced a solidarity fare system for its public transport network. Ticket prices are linked to household income, allowing lower-income residents to access public transport at a significantly reduced cost. This model has been successful in expanding access to public transport and reducing transport poverty in the city.
Supporting migrants’ pathways to inclusion
Migration and poverty are often interconnected. Migrants, particularly those without stable legal status, face additional barriers to accessing employment, housing and services, which leaves them at a higher risk of poverty. Structural discrimination, language barriers, and lack of recognition of foreign qualifications further marginalise these groups, preventing them from integrating into society.
In Malmo, parental support courses and counselling through family centres have encouraged newly arrived and foreign-born parents to take part in support programmes. A particular focus has been on interventions for foreign-born women, including those on parental leave, and young foreign-born individuals through outreach work with civil society. The administration has also launched a strategy to rebuild trust in social services, particularly within migrant communities. This includes Dialogsocionomer (Social Workers in Dialogue), aimed at improving communication and understanding of social services.
Ensuring access to healthy and sustainable diets
Food insecurity is a growing problem. Many low-income families are forced to choose cheap, unhealthy food because they can’t afford nutritious meals. Food insecurity is particularly prevalent in areas where there are ‘food deserts,’ or regions where healthy food is not available or affordable.
Glasgow tackles food insecurity through a mix of community-led initiatives and city coordination. Over 60 local organisations receive support to distribute food, run cooking classes, and create spaces for social connection. The Scottish Pantry Network allows people to choose food for a small fee, focusing on dignity rather than charity. Community hubs like SWAMP and Cranhill link food to education, training, and peer support, while a ‘cash-first’ approach provides vouchers or direct payments to meet urgent needs. The city also works to connect local demand with regional food production, aiming to build a sustainable, inclusive food system that benefits the whole community.
Bridging the digital divide
As more services and opportunities move online, digital exclusion has become another form of poverty. Without access to digital tools or the internet, people are cut off from important resources like job applications, health services, and social benefits. Cities are stepping in to ensure that everyone has access to the digital tools they need.
For instance, the City of Rotterdam has a digital inclusion programme coordinated across all city departments. One of the initiatives under the programme is ‘Tea Time,’ offering support and knowledge deep in the heart of the homes of those struggling with access to the digital world. The city also launched the project of the Proeftuin (experiment garden) to help citizens who have difficulty finding a job due to lack of digital skills.
Gender equality and poverty
Poverty is also deeply connected to gender inequality. Women, especially single mothers and migrant women, often face higher levels of poverty due to the gender pay gap, unpaid care work, and discrimination. Cities are working to reduce these barriers and ensure equal opportunities for women to access housing, education, and employment.
This is the case in Barcelona, where the city tackles gender-based poverty through its long-term Strategy against the Feminisation of Poverty and Precariousness. The plan includes over 130 actions across three main areas, focusing on how women use their time, helping them balance work and family life, and reducing the burden of unpaid care work. It combines practical measures like flexible schedules, care support, and awareness campaigns to make everyday life more manageable for women.
Culture as an engine of inclusion
Poverty is also a barrier to accessing culture, an essential part of social participation and wellbeing. That’s why Priority 11 of the Eurocities Call to Action on Sustainable Culture focuses on providing access to cultural programmes for all and removing the socio-cultural, geographical, economic, and technological barriers that prevent people from taking part.
An ambitious cultural policy fosters the conditions for creativity, expression, and participation for everyone, regardless of their background or income. Many cities are showing how culture can help break cycles of exclusion by bringing opportunities directly into neighbourhoods that are typically underserved.
In Gijon, the Musica Guiada (Guided Music) project is doing exactly that. Traditionally, classical music audiences came mainly from the city centre and from higher-income, highly educated groups. Musica Guiada turns this pattern around by organising free, didactic classical music concerts in peripheral neighbourhoods, combining live performances with accessible explanations to break down economic and educational barriers.
The role of cities in leading the anti-poverty efforts
As these examples show, poverty is a complex issue that touches many aspects of city life. But cities are rising to the challenge, finding practical solutions that can make a real difference in people’s lives. By addressing poverty in all its forms (housing, transport, food, migration, digital access, gender equality), cities are playing a key role in shaping a more inclusive and sustainable future.
Cities need the support of the EU to continue these efforts. The EU’s anti-poverty strategy must build on the local solutions that cities are already implementing and provide the resources and governance support to ensure they can reach everyone who needs help. Only by working together can we ensure that no one is left behind.
