why do people tolerate a society where houses are unaffordable for people on average earnings?

Question

for our friends across the pond.
here in england the average salary is around 30,000 and the average house price is over 250.000

Answer 1

I'm not sure.
A house, especially the cheap tacky way the big builders assemble them nowadays, can be built for probably £40,000 worth of materials. Add a few grand for labour costs and you do not end up with a price tag of £180,000 !.
The biggest mess this country has done to young people is to promote the method of housebuying - you start with a 'starter' home and it guarentees you need a bit more space after a few years. In Europe people generally rent a flat until such time as they are ready to live in a house for DECADES. This european method gears itself automatically to remove the inflated demand system that this country has nowadays (we use dto be very similar to the way europe still operates up until perhaps the late 1960's).

I dont know what the solution is now. Even government will be loathe to reign the abuse in now because of the incredible income they receive from each house sale.

Best way to stop the prices is to only buy a house you mean to stay in forever. But thats a Catch22 situation for many/most.

Answer 2

It's not so much that we tolerate it by choice, we have no choice! What can we do? Riot? Write to the Times? The Government couldn't care less because they all have valuable houses that will continue to increase in value and we can't get rid of them until the next election when we get a choice between 2 or 3 parties that are all much the same.

A large proportion of the electorate already have houses that are increasing in value, and to adjust the housing market would mean plunging thousands of people into negative equity, which they are very unlikely to vote for on behalf of first time buyers.

The only solution is to tax second homes, but then many politicians and their friends have them so we're stuck with it.

Answer 3

Why do people tolerate a world in which one third of people have no access to clean water? Because over time, more and more so, the essentials in life are being consumed and reserved for the wealthy or well off. Water, oil, housing, medical care, etc!!!!!!!!!! Unless you're in the money, i suggest learning to live without these things, or at least less of them than you ideally need. As far as houses go, i partially blame diy and home improvement shows...........they pushed the prices up by creating a demand for so called "Stylish Homes" and the rest of the market followed suit.

Answer 4

Because the wage gap keeps increasing. The rich are getting richer, and this reflects a rise in a national average...but the people on average wages aren't. The middle class is slowly disappearing. This has happened before in history, usually with revolution and communism as a result...two things which are usually well-intentioned but not so good in practice.

Answer 5

I reckon the reason is this:When women (quite rightly) got equal rights & pay,& millions more of them joined the workforce,house prices went up to soak the extra cash.In my generation,single people lived with their parents until they got married,now,everyone wants a place of their own,increased demand= higher prices.Women work harder now than they ever did,what with full-time jobs,house-work & child-rearing,i think ,maybe,they were better off just running the home,& letting the man bring home the bacon.I expect to get some flak for saying that.

Answer 6

Because ashamedly the majority do not want to get out of bed and strike for weeks on end, we all just want to go to work to make ends meet.....I wish there were some capitalists that want to make our problems clear to the government, although that will never happen. Pretty soon we will all be homeless, literally living on the breadline! PS I had a nightmare that I went to a mortgage advisor, and he let me view a public toilet cubicle which was all I can afford!

Answer 7

actually they dont,in 1947,the labour goverment built council houses for the average person,sadly the money meant for council housing has been left in the bank and has accumalated,to massive figures,this money has been spent on housing associations, the goverment has to release this money and as we have not had a real labour goverment since,this problem has not come up in parliament,and the people have not got a good ambassardor,the people have been shortchanged.

Answer 8

If it keeps on going like it is, we will probably have another civil war in 20 - 25 year. Yet, people keep voting for the right wing.






















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Answer 9

Because this country is now full of wimps! we even sit and watch our corrupt councils openly flaunt the law and keep adding to our bills while they take backhanders for contracts, (Glasgow being one of the worse) we allow police corruption .. then there's the p'c' correct brigade with no life of their own worth talking about they want to destroy everyone elses .... our forefathers must be turning in their graves

Answer 10

Because the ones effected (the poor) have A. no money=no power. Those in power have money, and will rent to others with money so they can charge whatever,B. money=more money. C. More money = politician friends.

A+B+C=No one that cares more about PEOPLE than they do about money (or heartlessly greedy people)