Analysis and action on living standards
Housing, Wealth and Debt
Post-war governments invested heavily in social housing. But it then fell spectacularly out of favour, with the introduction of Right-to-Buy in 1980 sparking a decline in social housing stock. Almost 40 years on, attitudes toward social housing appear to be changing again. In 2017, Theresa May earmarked £2 billion of new money for social rented … Continued
Housing, Wealth and Debt
High house prices and weak wage growth have led to a stark fall in home ownership rates among young people since the early 2000s, with a typical first-time buyer needing 18 years to save for a deposit, up from 3 years in the mid-90s. Increasingly stepping into this gap has been the Bank of Mum … Continued
Housing, Wealth and Debt, Intergenerational Commission
The last decade has seen housing at last work its way to the top of the political agenda. From much lower home ownership and higher housing costs for younger generations, to the sharp increase in families living in less secure rented accommodation, there is now a cross party consensus that Britain faces some serious questions … Continued
Housing, Wealth and Debt
The growth in household debt has outpaced growth in household incomes in recent years, putting questions about the causes and consequences of higher debt back in the spotlight. Should we worry that higher debt means that another credit crisis could be brewing? Or is growing household debt instead an indicator of rising consumer confidence? What … Continued
Housing, Wealth and Debt, Intergenerational Commission
In recent decades, housing has gone from being a driver of falling wealth inequality to playing a central role in Britain’s living standards crisis. Across income groups and the generations we see widespread concern about the housing prospects of younger generations. From the cost of housing to its size, quality and proximity to work, how … Continued
Housing, Wealth and Debt, Intergenerational Commission
Launch of major work programme on wealth across Britain for the Intergenerational Commission The wealth we accumulate, spend and pass on is too often the forgotten side of big national debates on inequality and living standards, where questions of day to day income dominate. A full lifetime view of our living standards needs to put … Continued