The unprecedented affluence of millions of older people is in stark contrast with a stagnant economy and a society in which millions of younger people cannot afford the basics of independent living. Change is long overdue and needs to start with the UK tax system, writes Carl Groves, former Further Education College Principal, and IF… Read more »
Category: Housing
Downsizing is socially desirable – and saves money on bills
As the rates of under-occupation continue to increase and energy bills are higher than they have been any previous winter, saving money on bills can be a persuasive argument to encourage greater downsizing. Alec Haglund, IF Researcher, discusses some of the key points of the recently published IF report “Downsize your energy bills”.
Turning assets back into homes: lessons from the Canadian property tax system
UK housing is increasingly a place for wealthy investors to park their wealth rather than a place for young people to live affordably. Sylvan Lutz, IF Researcher, looks at UK council taxes and argues that there are lessons to be learned from Canada on its new policy charging high taxes on vacant houses.
Affordable housing – could we learn something from Vienna?
Vienna, a metropolis rich in both cultural and architectural heritage, which often ranks as the most liveable city in the world, also boasts some of the lowest housing costs in Europe. Alec Haglund, IF Researcher, discusses key aspects of Vienna’s housing policy and argues that we should not overlook Vienna’s model when searching for answers… Read more »
How the mortgage rate rise disproportionately affects the young
With interest rates recently pushed to their highest level for well over a decade, Lukas Winterburn, IF volunteer, looks at the consequences through the lens of intergenerational housing justice, for mortgage payers and tenants. Bad news on interest rates Whilst homeownership levels have dipped from their peak in 2002 of 72% to plateauing to 65.2%… Read more »
2022: the year young people were seriously impoverished
Friday 23 September 2022, a day that will live in infamy, was the culmination of changes which will impoverish younger people, argues Angus Hanton, IF Co-founder. Interest rates up Most strikingly, interest rates shot up which squeezed borrowers and will be particularly difficult for younger people with mortgages. Younger people will often have taken on debts which were for… Read more »
The mounting crises for young people on the PM’s desk
As Liz Truss settles in to 10 Downing Street IF’s Digital Campaigns Officer, Liam Hill, considers what is top of the list of priorities for the new Prime Minister, and what ought to be higher on the list. Energy: the big one Last week, the government announced a plan to freeze energy bills for consumers… Read more »
An ‘everything crisis’: how we can overcome multiple challenges by solving the housing crisis
Rents are at the highest they have ever been, property prices continue to soar and young people and low- and middle-income workers also face a cost-of-living crisis. Simultaneously we are facing other crises ranging from the environment to mental health. Alec Haglund, IF Researcher, argues that by solving the housing crisis it would be possible… Read more »
What an election in Ontario tells us about housing, voter dissolution and intergenerational fairness
Umair Muhammad is the Knowledge to Action Lead at Generation Squeeze, a Canadian organisation dedicated to promoting the rights and wellbeing of younger generations. In this blog, he sets out the lessons to be learned from recent elections in the province of Ontario. The wrong sort of record On 2 June, a record-setting election took… Read more »
Abolishing stamp duty can help us achieve intergenerational equity
In this contribution to IF’s Worldwide Blog Week 2022, Andrew Dixon, Founder of Fairer Share, a UK-based property taxation campaign group, explains how abolishing stamp duty can make society fairer for younger generations. Growing gerontocracy The basis of our society, as well as many foundational economic models, is that people will tend to vote in… Read more »