1. Home page
  2. Search

How Private and Public Debt Crises Exacerbate Housing Problems in the EU

This item is provided by the institution :
Hellenic Association of Social Policy   

Repository :
Journal of Social Policy  | ΕΚΤ eJournals   

see the original item page
in the repository's web site and access all digital files if the item*



How Private and Public Debt Crises Exacerbate Housing Problems in the EU (EN)
Betavatzi, Eva
Toussaint, Eric
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
2021-12-28
The increase in mortgage lending in European countries since the 1990s’ is symptomatic of a political determination to push households into buying rather than renting on the housing market. Banks benefit from this as it allows them not only to increase their loan portfolios but also to use loans as securities and sell them on the secondary market. This results in credit bubbles which affect the global economy, as was the case in 2007-2008. Since then, in order to recapitalize their banks, many states have opted for public debt without imposing any substantial controls on the banking system and its ability to grant credit. Households have felt the effects of this in two ways: first, they have been confronted with a lack of affordable housing on the rental market, which has been left largely in the hands of the private sector and with little public investment or regulation; and second, austerity measures have caused their incomes to fall in order to pay off public debts. Thus, the increase in private and public debts, and the principle that they must be repaid whatever the cost, have an impact on the right to housing. (EN)
odious debts (EN)
mortgages (EN)
financialization and commodification of housing (EN)
Illegitimate (EN)
illegal (EN)
credit bubbles (EN)
securitization (EN)
Κοινωνική Πολιτική
English
ΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΟΝΙΚΗ ΕΤΑΙΡΕΙΑ ΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΚΗΣ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΚΗΣ (EL)
2241-8652
Κοινωνική Πολιτική; Τόμ. 14 (2021); 51-61 (EL)
Social Policy; Vol. 14 (2021); 51-61 (EN)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Copyright (c) 2021 Eva Betavatzi, Eric Toussaint (EN)
Hellenic Association of Social Policy
Journal of Social Policy
Articles



*Institutions are responsible for keeping their URLs functional (digital file, item page in repository site)