A rising number of euro-area consumers is struggling to pay for housing after years of above-target inflation and surging borrowing costs, according to European Central Bank research. The share of lower-income households expecting to make late payments for utilities or rent rose to more than 20% in the first quarter from about 15% in 2023, ECB researchers Omiros Kouvavas and Desislava Rusinova said Monday in a bulletin article. For mortgage payments, it nearly doubled to 30%. “Given the present and future effects of both increased interest rates and loss of purchasing power owing to inflation, the ability of ... (full story)