The need of affordable housing

Decent and affordable housing is a fundamental human need, and a basic human right. Access to affordable housing is one of the fundamental pillars in well-functioning democratic societies. The challenge of ensuring housing for all, and thereby contribute to political stability, eradication of poverty and social exclusion, is still immense in many countries.

Large subsidies and subprime loans to house-owners + an excessive and unregulated financial market have caused the present financial crises “the disproportionate use of such policies has contributed to price volatility and to the ongoing housing affordability and availability crises.” (UN Special Rapporteur for Housing Raquel Rolnik)

“Countries that have adapted a more balanced housing policy, such as Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, have suffered little from the recent property crises.“(UN Special Rapporteur for Housing Raquel Rolnik)

Tenure neutral housing policies contribute to more stable housing markets and counteract housing price bubbles (Prof. H. Priemus, Prof. M. Elsinga of Delft University, C. André, OECD, several other researchers)

A substantial, transparent and fair rental market is needed in every country to facilitate residential and labour mobility. A grey or black rental market is not a solution. That is the reality in many countries with a very high rate of owner-occupation,

We need a rental market with a level playing field for landlords and tenants, which includes security of tenure. The rental market should consist of at least 1/3 of the whole housing market and even more in the big cities.  Eurostat figures shows that in the vast majority of the well developed countries at least 1/3 of the households live in rented dwellings. The highest rates are in Switzerland 61 and Germany 55 percent. The lowest in Romania 4 and Croatia 7 percent.

 The market alone cannot solve the housing problems for many e.g.

• Young households
• Migrants and refugees
• Low and low to medium income households
• Those with disabilities and those in need of care

Social housing, housing allowances and other forms of subsidies and adapted housing are necessary to fight market failures and homelessness. Especially important is a stable supply of affordable rental housing.

Subsidies to provide affordable housing should not be able to be capitalized. The aim of the subsidy is to lower the costs not to stimulate higher prices. Subsidies without conditions, e.g. mortgage interest deduction, on a “free” market, stimulate speculation, contribute to increased prices on homes and construction, push up rents and decrease housing affordability especially in regions with high migration. The aim should be that prices and rents are lowered in an amount that corresponds to the value of the subsidies.

A social mixture is desirable and wise. The social climate in a housing area effects the health and the future possibilities of households and individuals living there. Social and affordable housing are needed in areas where the jobs are to counteract unemployment and cater for employers’ demand for labour. The target group for social housing sector should be a national decision without interference from the European Commission.

We’ve been experiencing over the last three years the effects of the complete deregulation of the housing market. We keep seeing people losing their homes because of evictions, families being unable to pay off their mortgages, households facing inadequate living conditions. European institutions were proven to be lacking decisiveness and political will to come up with alternative policies that would put the peoples’ needs first. Further hesitation cannot be acceptable anymore. The time for action is now.

The extreme situation of more than a million households in Spain, Ireland and Greece in either eviction process or dramatic negative equity doesn’t leave any more space for maneuvering… Of course, it’s clear that housing markets are different in each country while it has to be recalled on the other hand that most extreme phenomena are caused by massive incentives to home ownership and mortgage debt via low interest rates. On top of that the lack of public affordable social housing provision took away the only possible safety net.

The stable supply of affordable rental housing allows a protection of the most vulnerable households. The much wanted stability can be secured through tenure- neutral policies that will contribute to more stable housing markets and counteract housing price bubbles. Home ownership should be finally unlinked from a certain social status it carries in many EU countries and home rental should be supported in every possible way.

Urgent demands in Europe today

Guarantee access to decent housing – fight homelessness!

Promote tenure mix, tenure neutrality and social inclusion!

Promote residential and labour mobility!

After the generous bailing out of the banks it is time to bail out the people!

No mass evictions!

The ”mortgage to rent” scheme is necessary in many countries!

Perhaps the most transforming and revolutionary years of a person’s life are after she/he becomes 18 years old. Leaving childhood, teenage years, parents and school behind and entering adulthood, becoming a young adult. And they need housing.

Housing is a fundamental right according to several international conventions;

• United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 25,
• United Nations Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural rights, article 11
• European Social Charter, revised, article 31

These declarations are not just “for show”. They have to be carried out in reality and they of course apply even to young adults. A researcher called housing a freedom right because it is fundamental to human flourishing. And that is obvious for young people.
Young adults face the possibility of so many choices for the future, that is – if you belong to the few lucky ones that can afford to choose; the choice of vocational training, education and a career, choice of a partner, choice of living arrangements, choice of political belonging, etc. All in all, choices that lead to a young person´s independence. In most cases this independence also includes the desire and the need for housing of one´s own.
But many young adults have no other choice than to stay with their parents because they cannot find any affordable housing. Young people are increasingly squeezed out of the housing market. In the vast majority of European countries there is a great shortage of affordable housing in both the private and social rented sector, and buying a home is out of reach for the majority of young people.
In 2008, approximately 46 percent of young adults aged 18–34 in the European Union still lived with at least one of their parents. There are differences between countries in the north and the south of Europe. But even in northern countries where the share is low too many young adults lack housing of their own and security of tenure. All data suggests that the situation is even worse now.

And there are considerable differences between eastern and western Europe. Inhabitants in the new member states generally have a lower material housing standard and a higher degree of overcrowded conditions compared to the older member states in Western Europe.

Someone may say: ‘But they don’t want to move from their parents!’ But that is not true, at least in most countries. When this issue was discussed at the Housing Forum Europe & Central Asia in Budapest a couple of years ago, several representatives from countries where the age when leaving parental home is high, around 30 or more, assured us that the majority of these young adults really wanted to move away from home, but the choice was not theirs to make.

 There simply is no affordable housing available where they want to live and where they could find education or a job.

Some parents don’t want the children to move out and even want to decide over their future choices: education and future job and even sometimes whom they should marry.

In the book The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran (Lebanon) the prophet says to a mother:

“Your children are not your children

They are sons and daughters of the Life’s longing for itself

They come through you but not from you

And although they live with you, they anyhow don’t belong to you

You can give them your love but not your thoughts,

because they have thoughts of their own

You can house their bodies but not their souls

Because their souls stay in the home of tomorrow

which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams

Strive to imitate them, but don’t try to make them to be like you

Because the life does not return and linger with the day that is gone.”

Young adults should have the right and the possibilities to make their own decisions regardless of the economy and beliefs of their parents. Housing of one´s own is a freedom right that makes it possible to live an independent life.

 The lack of affordable rental housing is not only a problem for young adults but it is also a problem for the economy. If young adults want to work but cannot move to where the jobs are they will stay unemployed and the companies and institutions might not get the employees they seek. Likewise, if they want to go on with higher education at a university but cannot find housing this will hamper the intellectual capital.

 When governments subsidize owner-occupancy the effects are increasing prices. The subsidies are capitalized, especially in regions and cities with expanding economy and higher education. High prices make it even harder for young people to move to these places. Especially since the supply of affordable rental housing is quite insufficient. Many governments also decrease the supply of affordable housing by cutting down and even abolish subsidies and give rental housing worse terms than owner-occupancy.

 In a period of recession and rising unemployment, investment in housing construction and refurbishment is the best way to create and sustain jobs and provide affordable housing. Compared with other types of construction projects such as road building, house building utilizes proportionately more labour.

 Young people are other future. We must invest in the future. Young people need more – not less – affordable rental housing.

Ängelholm är en kommun med 40 000 invånare och en allt äldre befolkning. Den enda åldersgrupp som ökat sedan sekelskiftet är ålderspensionärerna. Det håller inte i längden. Det har man insett och därför ställt som mål att kommunen ska vara särskilt attraktiv för ungdomar och barnfamiljer. Nu återstår handlingar. Det handlar om prioriteringar för att ändra bilden av Ängelholm. Det behövs en verklig kraftsamling från alla olika tänkbara aktörer. Det räcker inte med idrott och friluftsliv. Det behövs mera liv och rörelse, mera möjligheter till eget skapande, kreativa och tillåtande miljöer, som ger utrymme för nya idéer och utveckling.

Äntligen hemkommen från OECD-möte i Paris. Det finns en del att smälta. Glädjande är att OECD för första gången på 20 år ägnar sig åt bostadsfrågan. Man ska göra en stor kartläggning av bostadspolitiken i alla länder inom OECD. Det var den som diskuterades: Målsättning och innehåll. Det är ett enormt jobb. Långt ifrån alla var där på mötet. En sak som jag noterade att det förekommer tydligen i flera länder att man får göra avdrag för den hyra man betalar (hur stor del framgick inte), i likhet med de ränteavdrag som man får göra på lån. När Hyresgästföreningen här förde fram ett sådant förslag blev det betraktat som ett långskott. Men det fungerar tydligen ändå.. Något måste ju göras för att upplåtelseformerna ska behandlas lika. Idag är det ju endast ägt boende som subventioneras i Sverige och tyvärr i flera andra länder. .. Återkommer med mer.

Enligt ny statistik från SCB ökade de genomsnittliga sammanlagda förvärvsinkomsterna mellan åren 2000 och 2012 minst räknat i procent i Helsingborg jämfört med Båstad, Höganäs och Ängelholm, nämligen med 17 procent. Störst ökning hade Båstad och Ängelholm med 22 procent. Höganäs hade dock den högsta medianinkomsten. Se http://svenbergen.se/Aengelholm/!

I DN skriver Per Ankersjö (Cp) att det är klimatsmart att bygga höga hus. Visst kan det finnas fog för att bygga högre än 5-6 våningar, men det finns ett problem som man sällan tar upp. Det är klimatet runt mycket höga hus. De stoppar luftmassor i rörelse och skapar hårda vindar runt husen. Därför spelar bebyggelsen utformning stor roll. Skyskrapor av det slag som nu planeras i Stockholm och Göteborg kommer att skapa blåsiga områden närmast dem. Jag rekommenderar stadsbyggnadsförvaltningar att göra studier av detta innan man fattar beslut. http://www.dagensnyheter.se/Articles/2014/01/30/Klimatsmart-att-bygga-hoga-hus/

Enligt Svensk Mäklarstatistik var det genomsnittliga priset för villa i Ängelholm som sålts under perioden 1 oktober till 31 december 2013 2,3 miljoner eller nästan 17 000 kronor per kvm. På årsbasis är detta en ökning med 13 procent. Det genomsnittliga priset i hela riket under samma tid 2,36 miljoner eller 18 2oo kronor per kvm. I Skåne var det genomsnittspriset 2,2 miljoner eller 16 300 kronor per kvm.

Under samma period var det genomsnittliga priset för en bostadsrätt i Ängelholm 1, 02 miljoner kronor eller 14 000 kronor per kvm. Det är en ökning med 9 procent på ett år. I riket var medelpriset 1,85 miljoner eller 28  000 kronor per kvm och i Skåne 1,19 miljoner eller 16 500 kronor per kvm.

Det är mycket pengar för unga människor och låginkomsttagare. Nya hyresrätter kostar mycket. En ny lägenhet på 2 rum och kök cirka 7 000 kronor i månaden. Samtidigt växer bostadsbristen. Detta håller inte. Byggpriserna måste ner. Det måste byggas hyresrätter som även hushåll med lägre inkomster har råd att bo i.