Housing supply issues affecting Europe -why?

Greed.

Rising costs for the construction materials of housing, including the costs involved for the labour involved. The regulation and taxation of the industry which further hikes up the costs involved. The regulatory nature of the Planning Authority, which makes it difficult for certain developments, but makes it easy for others... so, there is greed for authority, and control.

The overall cost of living in Ireland... whether it's the prices charged in shops, or the government charges/taxation on a wide variety of goods. Just think of the differences in price for common items, or even "luxury" items over a decade, two decades, etc. No way that the rises in costs should have been so strong over those periods without greed being involved.

It amazes me just how expensive Ireland has become over 2 decades. The same for other nations. When they become prosperous, prices go up.. sometimes a big hike, but usually, gradual increases every year to the point where nobody really notices or comments on it, until you realise that a bag of crisps or a chocolate bar (produced in Ireland) is now twice or three times the cost of twenty years ago. Or that a single visit to a doctor will cost you at least 50 euro, even if the doctor does nothing but to refer you elsewhere. A piece of paper from a solicitor costing similar.. or more.

Everywhere you can see the prices increase over time... it's just that most people realise they can't stop it from happening. If only we had politicians who cared, but we don't.

It's nuts.

Housing supply stalls for many reasons. Throughout Europe, most towns/cities were not designed for large populations with modern considerations to quality of life. As such, they quickly become congested, housing prices soar, and people are squeezed to the outskirts, with the city expanding as the value within the city increases, and more are pushed further outwards. That's normal, and the case pretty much everywhere. This focus on cities in modern times is what's causing most of the problems regarding housing (along with the expectation by people that they shouldn't be squeezed out due to their low incomes).