Property-based welfare and European homeowners: how would housing perform as a pension? |
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Authors: | John Doling Richard Ronald |
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Affiliation: | (1) College of Social Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK;(2) OTB Research Institute, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands;(3) Urban Studies, Department of Geography, Planning and International Development Studies, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands |
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Abstract: | Notwithstanding current market volatility, there has been exceptional expansion in owner-occupied housing sectors and increases
in house prices across European countries in recent decades. In the EU, individual wealth held in housing equity, especially
among older people, has been considered a substantial reserve that could be tapped into to meet future pension needs as the
ageing of the population becomes a greater stress on European welfare states. This paper seeks to take the notion of ‘property-based
welfare’ further by examining, in principle at least, how home ownership may function as a pension across EU states. This
firstly involves very approximate estimates of the types of, and rates of, income homeowners could hypothetically generate
from their homes, including forms of income in kind. Secondly, criteria are identified to estimate how ‘adequate’ such potential
incomes are in relation to working incomes and in bringing retired households above poverty levels. Thirdly, different circumstances
across EU member states with regard to existing housing and pension arrangements are examined. Broad national groupings appear
evident, with housing income having least impact in older member states in central and northern Europe. The paper concludes
that while the potential outcome of housing wealth is country specific, in many cases, greater dependency on home ownership
in welfare provision, particularly if it is used as a substitute rather than a complement to existing arrangements, may have
adverse consequences for many. |
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