The only solution to get prices down is increasing supply. Period.
Any other measure that doesn’t impact supply is utterly useless since demand for housing is what it is, and people will spend what they can afford to spend. Give them more to spend and prices *will* go up.
The problem is a lot of new developments do suck and you shouldn’t toss away complaints willy nilly. If building more appartments meant replacing single-family homes in city centres with moderate 5-7 story appartment buildings a lot less people would have problems.
Instead large developments happen at the edges of cities and towns and they build huge buildings. High rise is a lot more costly than mid-rise to build. By definition these buildings will be expensive and won’t put pressure on the housing market.
We need more supply, but we need not throw caution to the wind.
never understood the hate for appartments.. they are better in every way including climate friendly except that they tend to look somewhat boring.
In Antwerp they build a lot of appartements but then everybody complains the mayor is too close with the real estate guy and doesn’t plant enough trees
4 comments
The only solution to get prices down is increasing supply. Period.
Any other measure that doesn’t impact supply is utterly useless since demand for housing is what it is, and people will spend what they can afford to spend. Give them more to spend and prices *will* go up.
The problem is a lot of new developments do suck and you shouldn’t toss away complaints willy nilly. If building more appartments meant replacing single-family homes in city centres with moderate 5-7 story appartment buildings a lot less people would have problems.
Instead large developments happen at the edges of cities and towns and they build huge buildings. High rise is a lot more costly than mid-rise to build. By definition these buildings will be expensive and won’t put pressure on the housing market.
We need more supply, but we need not throw caution to the wind.
never understood the hate for appartments.. they are better in every way including climate friendly except that they tend to look somewhat boring.
In Antwerp they build a lot of appartements but then everybody complains the mayor is too close with the real estate guy and doesn’t plant enough trees