Globalisation and Home Ownership

Across Europe there is evidence, albeit unsystematic and patchy, of home ownership markets in which the experiences of some households has become problematic. The incidence of loan repayment difficulties, loan default and even forced sales combined with examples of falling prices and negative equity indicates a side to home ownership that is characterized by problems with social, economic and political dimensions. This book reports on research carried out in eight countries: Belgium,...
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Across Europe there is evidence, albeit unsystematic and patchy, of home ownership markets in which the experiences of some households has become problematic. The incidence of loan repayment difficulties, loan default and even forced sales combined with examples of falling prices and negative equity indicates a side to home ownership that is characterized by problems with social, economic and political dimensions. This book reports on research carried out in eight countries: Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the UK. Examining the interplay of the housing markets in each country with their labor and financial markets and their systems of social security, it takes as its theoretical context the nature of globalization. It explores some of the ways in which there have been both similarities and differences in developments, supporting a view of globalization that provides some space for autonomous action by agents, including policy makers and households. The book was written as part of the Home Ownership - Social and Economic Problems Project (HOSE) that has been funded by the institutions of the researchers involved and the European Union under its Framework 5 Program.