Affordable Housing

While government policy can have the effect of boosting a particular sector of the economy, it must always be remembered that this is at the cost of distorted pricing and the misallocation of resources. Rather than subsidizing either the consumption or construction of overpriced housing, you guys should be looking into the barriers which prevent the private sector from meeting the need for low cost housing. Perhaps excessive permitting and building codes, restrictive zoning, lot size restrictions, and the like, make affordable housing essentially illegal. You might say I’m arguing for a reduction in the quality of housing, and yes, inexpensive usually necessitates a reduction in size or quality. But, this is a recognition of the scarcity of resources. The state while goosing the housing market cannot also conjure up the required resources, but must divert them from more productive uses towards overpriced housing, which in the long run, makes us all poorer. 

With short-termist political landscape of the UK, I won't be holding my breath for any radical change on housing any time soon. Plus, I have already lost my youth to being a renting nomad. Now I just have to look forward to no pension.

FIRST




....banter!

Really nice video. Balanced and fair.

The population is growing because people are living in smaller households? That doesn't make any sense. That's like saying a pizza becomes bigger if you slice it in 8 slices instead of 4

This video is assuming that the existing house market is free, i.e. there is no government intervention. But in fact, the whole housing crisis is a result of government regulation of the market

I worked on the houses that's in this video , next to addenbrooks hospital , 1bed apartments are starting at 400k and none of them are council theres like 200 new builds on that site already all sold and up for rent starting at £1400pcm not including bills , I'm 25 been working since I was 14 and because of these stupid prices and rich people buying and renting out accommodation that's not needed to make more money I've had to live in a room at my mums house with my partner and new born baby , just because I don't come from a wealthy family , even tho me and my partner both are working professionals that earn over min wage , you want to sort out the housing problem , ? Put a house Owning limit in place your only aloud to own one more property than you currently live in , and foreigners with money have to of had worked here for at least 5years before being aloud to buy a house over here that's going to sit empty as their holiday home ,

Problem is only housing being built are for those that can afford or struggle to buy them - there is no social housing and what is available charge ridiculous rent cost..

This is excellent.

Why do you only look at US, France and Germany? The most successful country in terms of providing affordable housing is Singapore. 80% of citizens or permanent residents live in high quality social housing and 90% of these own their own apartment.