Housing Crisis is Driving the Generations Apart, Literally

Profound changes in where older and younger generations live over the last 25 years, due in large part to the housing crisis, is literally driving the generations apart, according to a new report from the Intergenerational Foundation. Across England and Wales, the number of neighbourhoods in which half the population is aged over 50 has risen sevenfold since 1991. In 1991 there were just 65 such neighbourhoods. This rose to 485 in 2014, 60% of which are rural. The research reveals that since 1991 rural areas have aged almost twice as fast as urban areas, as young people have moved away to towns and cities. Download the report from the IF website.

Empty Bedrooms Undermine New Building

The growing trend towards under-occupation is exacerbating Britain’s housing crisis, according to new research from the Intergenerational Foundation. Building on previous studies from IF which have examined the issue of under-occupation, this report uses census data to show that nearly 1 million extra households were classed as under-occupying between 2001 and 2011 in England. In effect, this means that almost a fifth of all the extra space that was added to England’s housing stock throughout this period has been wasted, as the additional capacity it created was cancelled-out by the increasingly inefficient way in which our existing housing stock is being used. Download the report from the Intergenerational Foundation website.

Hoarding of Housing

The Intergenerational Foundation, a new think tank, has published its first report ‘Hoarding of Housing’ which argues that the current housing crisis is not principally about Britain having enough housing but about the way it is shared between older and younger generations. The report shows the concentration of home ownership and housing wealth amongst the older generations and predicts that over the next few years we are likely to see 80 per cent of people over state pension age being owner-occupiers, with 90 per cent of these being single people or couples. Housing Minister Grant Shapps told the BBC: "Whilst this report makes interesting reading, we do not agree that people should be taxed or bullied out of their homes. Instead we will work with families to ensure that housing becomes more affordable over time" - a comment in stark contrast to the government’s approach to under-occupation amongst social renters dependent on housing benefit. Download a copy of the report from the Intergenerational Foundation website.