A steering apparatus for an automobile comprising: a steering column comprising: a front column that is located on the front side, and a rear column that is located on the rear side and assembled so as to be able to displace relative to the front column, the steering column supporting a steering shaft on the inside thereof; a housing for an electric power steering apparatus that is supported by the vehicle body; a vehicle-side bracket that is supported by the vehicle body and that has a pair of holding plate sections (20a, 20b) that are located at positions on both the left and right sides of the middle section of the steering column, with the portion that exists between the bottom edges being of the holding plate sections (20a, 20b) being open; and an expansion and contraction mechanism that comprises a rod shaped member that is inserted in the left right direction through a through hole (22a, 22b) that is formed in positions of the holding plate sections (20a, 20b) that are aligned with each other, and a pair of pressing sections (25a, 50) that are provided on both end sections of the rod shaped member, and by moving these pressure sections (25a, 50) away from each other or close to each other in the axial direction of the rod shape member, the space between the holding plate sections (20a, 20b) is changed, and when this space is contracted, the expansion and contraction mechanism fastens the steering column to these holding plate sections (20a, 20b); whereby the front column of the steering column has a front-end section that is formed in a U shape that is open at the top and comprises a pair of left and right side plate sections that face each other and a bottom plate section that connects to the edges on the bottom ends of these side plate sections, the housing has a connection and fastening section (36, 36a) on the rear, the connection and fastening section (36, 36a) comprising a center hole that is formed in the center thereof and through which the front-end section of the steering shaft is inserted inside the housing, and a pair of left and right slits that are parallel with each other, that are formed in the portions near the left and right ends of the connecting and fastening section (36, 36a), and that have openings on the bottom end surface and the rear end surface that receive the side plate sections on the front-end section of the steering column, and with the side plate sections of the front-end section being inserted into the slits of the connection and fastening section (36, 36a), the front-end section and the connection and fastening section (36, 36a) are connected and fastened together by a bolt (39, 62). a steering column comprising: a front column that is located on the front side, and a rear column that is located on the rear side and assembled so as to be able to displace relative to the front column, the steering column supporting a steering shaft on the inside thereof; a housing for an electric power steering apparatus that is supported by the vehicle body; a vehicle-side bracket that is supported by the vehicle body and that has a pair of holding plate sections (20a, 20b) that are located at positions on both the left and right sides of the middle section of the steering column, with the portion that exists between the bottom edges being of the holding plate sections (20a, 20b) being open; and an expansion and contraction mechanism that comprises a rod shaped member that is inserted in the left right direction through a through hole (22a, 22b) that is formed in positions of the holding plate sections (20a, 20b) that are aligned with each other, and a pair of pressing sections (25a, 50) that are provided on both end sections of the rod shaped member, and by moving these pressure sections (25a, 50) away from each other or close to each other in the axial direction of the rod shape member, the space between the holding plate sections (20a, 20b) is changed, and when this space is contracted, the expansion and contraction mechanism fastens the steering column to these holding plate sections (20a, 20b); whereby the front column of the steering column has a front-end section that is formed in a U shape that is open at the top and comprises a pair of left and right side plate sections that face each other and a bottom plate section that connects to the edges on the bottom ends of these side plate sections, the housing has a connection and fastening section (36, 36a) on the rear, the connection and fastening section (36, 36a) comprising a center hole that is formed in the center thereof and through which the front-end section of the steering shaft is inserted inside the housing, and a pair of left and right slits that are parallel with each other, that are formed in the portions near the left and right ends of the connecting and fastening section (36, 36a), and that have openings on the bottom end surface and the rear end surface that receive the side plate sections on the front-end section of the steering column, and with the side plate sections of the front-end section being inserted into the slits of the connection and fastening section (36, 36a), the front-end section and the connection and fastening section (36, 36a) are connected and fastened together by a bolt (39, 62).