Over half of young people fear losing their home, study alerts
Housing insecurity has risen 13 points in Spain from 2011 to 2016 among young residents (under 45) and reaches 53.9%, with 38.3% among the total population, according to a study published recently by the UAB Centre for Demographics. The main cause is an increase in rent prices and lack of regulation and protection for tenants.
23/01/2019
Housing insecurity in Spain rises 14 points more than the average European Union percentage (at 24.1% among total population and 32.7% among young people).
A study by the UAB Centre for Demographics (CED-UAB) published recently in the journal Perspectives Demogràfiques analyses the evolution of housing insecurity and concludes that after the economic crisis this insecurity continues to rise in Spain: over half of the homes with residents under 45 years old fear the possibility of losing their homes in the near future.
A total of 42% of homes occupied by young people belong to the private market, the most insecure option available for a population group hit hardly by a precarious labour market. "Housing insecurity is one of the main dimensions of vital insecurities, and it is therefore urgent to take action to control this", alerts author of the study and researcher Juan Antonio Módenes.
Many residents feel insecure about being able to continue living in their homes short term due to the economic difficulties in Spain. This perceived risk is greater among younger people and those renting their home.
The study analyses data from the recent increase in rental contracts obtained by the Life Conditions Survey (National Statistics Institute) and the housing insecurity perceived in the European Quality of Life Survey 2016 (Eurofound).
The study analyses data from the recent increase in rental contracts obtained by the Life Conditions Survey (National Statistics Institute) and the housing insecurity perceived in the European Quality of Life Survey 2016 (Eurofound).
From 2011 to 2016, housing insecurity rose from 24.9% to 38.3% in Spain, while in Europe it went from 21.1% to 24.15%. Among the young population (under 45) this insecurity grew: from 39.7% to 53.9%, far above the European average, which went from 29.4% to 32.7%.
The study, entitled "L'insostenible augment de la inseguretat residencial a Espanya" [The Unsustainable Increase in Housing Insecurity in Spain], analyses not only the increase in rental contracts among young people, but also the increase in precarious employment in young homes: unemployment and temporary contracts are normal among young people needing to find a place to live.
This results in young people, when asked about their perception of housing insecurity, expressed as the risk of losing their home in the near future for not being able to pay for it, show a high level of insecurity, much higher in Spain than in other EU countries.
The study identifies market-regulated rent prices as the main focus of housing insecurity among young people in all of the European Union. The results in Spain were compared to other countries in the EU: Spain, 83%; EU, 49%; Germany, 29%; France, 59%; Italy, 78%; UK, 33%), all of whom rated this insecurity over any other possessions, and with Italy the only country with a similar percentage to Spain (although renting in Italy continues to be a minority option).
Housing Bubble
The study reveals that housing insecurity is not limited to the socially or professionally more vulnerable homes. For that reason, author Juan Antonio Módenes, researcher at the CED-UAB and at the UAB Department of Geography, affirms that "although insecurity is high among the most vulnerable homes, the risk of losing one's home is also very frequent among all other groups, and is therefore now a universal characteristic".
Housing Bubble
The study reveals that housing insecurity is not limited to the socially or professionally more vulnerable homes. For that reason, author Juan Antonio Módenes, researcher at the CED-UAB and at the UAB Department of Geography, affirms that "although insecurity is high among the most vulnerable homes, the risk of losing one's home is also very frequent among all other groups, and is therefore now a universal characteristic".
The author points out the practical identity among vulnerability, renting and housing insecurity. A total of 64% of young residents in risk of poverty or exclusion pay to the private rental market and of these, more than 90% percieve housing insecurity.
Moreover, although home owners with a mortgage still make up the majority of non-vulnerable young dwellers, 33% of them live in a rented flat and 72% of these feel housing insecurity. The recent rise in rental contracts has led to the rise in housing insecurity, given the negative conditions of contracts, the length and lack of control in prices in areas where there is a large demand. Therefore, the author speaks of a "real housing insecurity bubble in Spain, especially among young people who have no other effective alternatives".
The study ends by exposing recent changes in rental market regulations, which could help to burst this "insecurity bubble": an increase in contract duration, regulation of evictions in vulnerable cases and the need to control rent prices.
ARTICLE: Perspectives Demogràfiques: "L'insostenible augment de la inseguretat residencial a Espanya". Juan Antonio Módenes. January 2019.