Inflation is an aftermath of Covid, Covid was a major economic challenge everywhere, this was made worse in EU and prolonged because Russia tried to strong-arm EU by closing off the gas. Which meant that EU was forced to source this energy from elsewhere, increasing prices on warming for houses for many people. But people are still paid livable wages in EU unlike in USA. There is always struggle for workers to get their fair share, difference is that in EU this struggle is on a much more even playing field than it is in USA, and AFAIK anywhere else in the world.

There is no class war in either USA or EU, there isn't in USA because Americans aren't fighting for their rights.
And there isn't in EU because workers did fight for it, and we have won the necessary rights that prevent us from getting choked.
There is of course always debate on how the money of society as a whole should be shared. And in EU workers actually have significant political power in that debate, where in USA they don't.

So apart from a livable wage, we have for instance free healthcare and education, something many Americans dream of.
Romania is among the poorer EU countries, but they have the highest home ownership in EU.
So at least I think I can say with good certainty that we don't have an EU wide housing crisis.
With major infra structure variables like housing there will always "trouble" show me a country that is completely without problems regarding housing.

In EU the situation today is certainly way better than it was back in the 70's in most countries, where in USA it's the exact opposite.

Here in the UK it's pretty fucked. I earn a fairly low wage, and I live in a van because housing is so expensive. I could just about afford to pay rent, but I couldn't afford much else. The van thing isn't ideal - I'm in my 50s, hot summers and cold winters are challenging - but this is the only way I can afford to be able to do stuff and even save a bit.

they tell us

Is that what it boils down to? AFAIK you are free to vote for someone who doesn't say that.
Yes there have been problems, first Covid, then Russia invading Ukraine disrupting oil and gas supplies plus demanding higher defense expenses, and then Trump winning the presidency on USA putting tariffs on EU.

All these are outside factors that have had an impact, but apart from that the general trend in EU is absolutely to improve conditions for the population, which has far from been the case in USA.
Yes they warn that times are bit tighter now than they should have been, but that's reality and not because we are being choked by our own.
I agree the rich need to be taxed more, and the distribution of wealth is unfair, but at least in EU we have a fighting chance, where in USA they have basically given up on fundamental rights like free healthcare and a living wage.

but the rest of you are dragging us down

Where are you from? and who is "you"? If foreigners are buying your real estate nothing is simpler than not allowing foreigners to own real estate in your country. Failing to do that is not the fault of other countries.

China had the right idea to impose severe restrictions around that type of “investing”

China is not all bad, but it is a totalitarian regime, where people can be imprisoned just for expressing a political opinion.
That kind of oppression of the people and ideas makes China clearly worse than EU, where it is a protected right.

The worst countries regarding making land unavailable to ordinary people are way poorer countries than USA and EU and are Asian countries, where land is part of a social construct, and your worth and ability for marriage is tied to how much land you own. Where not the foreigners but the local rich are pressuring out ordinary people.