How do young people cope?

[Heathblue]

Base level energy costs are back to their 3 year old levels ( i think it might have been Jamie Jenkins who stated this on X) those of us who pay these bills are well aware that prices haven't decreased in line with the reduced costs, did anyone, honest a god, think they ever would ? but back to the topic, the squeezing out of home ownership, this is IMO by design, get ready for the 15 min cities boys and girls & other!!, pokey little flats in high rise tower blocks, no need of car ownership, finances controlled by CBDC, carbon credits & holidays in Blackpool for us plebs, conspiracy ?, we'll see
How do young people cope ? you are not supposed to, you will be broken until you comply.

[jon1959]

Base level energy costs are back to their 3 year old levels ( i think it might have been Jamie Jenkins who stated this on X) those of us who pay these bills are well aware that prices haven't decreased in line with the reduced costs, did anyone, honest a god, think they ever would ? but back to the topic, the squeezing out of home ownership, this is IMO by design, get ready for the 15 min cities boys and girls & other!!, pokey little flats in high rise tower blocks, no need of car ownership, finances controlled by CBDC, carbon credits & holidays in Blackpool for us plebs, conspiracy ?, we'll see
How do young people cope ? you are not supposed to, you will be broken until you comply.

I don't think the fall in owner occupation is anything to do with your bundle of 'conspiracy ?' plots.

The biggest factor is cash rich buy-to-let landlords squeezing out first time buyers who have seen the cost of homes skyrocket whilst their wages have been stagnant or fallen. Other factors too - but from 70.9 of all homes being owner occupied in 2003, it has now fallen to 64.3% (was 62.6% in 2016). Not a problem if that is part of a mixed and affordable housing stock that meets needs - but it isn't.

At the same time social renting (mostly Council and Housing Association) has fallen to its lowest in a century at 16.6%. Private renting is up to around 19-20% of the total stock of homes. A big chunk of those privately rented homes are ex Council Right To Buys that have been sold on and ended up with private landlords who typically (in London and some other big cities) charge 3 times the rent of an identical retained Council home - either adding to homelessness (some of it hidden) or to the national housing benefit bill. As with low wages, bad employers and bad landlords are subsidised via the Treasury by the rest of us.

So not 15 minutes cities, the end of cash, or Bill Gates chips floating in our latest vaccine shot - just under regulated capitalism where the rich get richer and the majority just try to stay afloat.