Why is housing important

Muharem H. Karamujic 1 1. University of Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina. Personalised recommendations. Cite chapter How to cite? ENW EndNote. In Austria, the average home contains 1. People in Austria enjoy a relatively high standard of housing. With about 1. Housing is also affordable due to sizeable housing subsidies, a large social and co-operative housing market and widespread rent control in the private market. However, some improvements in the living conditions of immigrants have taken place recently, for example thanks to better access to social housing.

In Belgium, the average home contains 2. But in addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. In terms of basic facilities, the percentage of dwellings in Brazil that contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet , is less than the OECD average of In Canada, the average home contains 2. Laneway houses are smaller detached dwellings usually located in the backyard of a single-family lot with access to a back lane.

While secondary suites existed before, many were unauthorised and illegal. Encouraging such forms of housing has been a major part of Vancouver's housing affordability strategy, since their rents tend to be lower.

It has increased the supply of lower-cost rental housing, while helping homeowners pay down their own mortgages and increasing the social diversity of single-family neighbourhoods. Furthermore, because many secondary suites allow access to a yard, they may be more appealing to families than conventional rental apartments.

These benefits suggest it would be worthwhile for other cities facing shortages of affordable rental housing to legalise secondary suites and laneway houses in all single-family zones, although homeowner resistance has been a major obstacle to change in many municipalities across Canada. In Chile, the average home contains 1. Chile has taken concrete steps to improve the living conditions of more vulnerable populations.

The Social Housing Recovery Programme allows owners of housing complexes that are beyond improvement or repair to transfer them to the Housing and Urbanisation Service in exchange for a housing subsidy. Residents are then able to purchase a home that is in good condition. The government recovers the land to develop urban renewal projects. Between and families are eligible for the Social Housing Improvement Programme. This programme improves the quality of complexes that are in poor but recoverable condition.

Funding is allocated for each household that is part of an improvement project, and applicants also make a small contribution. Chao Suegra Goodbye mother-in-law is a rental housing subsidy programme to help young adults purchase their own home. The programme was launched in with a quota for 5 applicants, limited to heads of household aged This is probably in part the result of Chile's housing policy in the past decades, which has supported access to homeownership among low and middle-income households but provided no support to the rental sector.

A stronger access to rental housing for lower and middle-income households can help improve residential mobility and reduce residential segregation. In , Chile introduced a pilot rental subsidy programme, which provides means-tested rental vouchers to young families.

The voucher provides a flat payment, directly to the landlord, for a period of time limited to five years. The subsidy is highly portable in case of relocation and allows for some payment flexibility to avoid evictions in the face of a temporary income loss. This programme is a good start to a more tenure-neutral housing policy in Chile but actions should be considered to support the supply of good-quality private but also social rental dwellings.

In the Czech Republic, the average home contains 1. In Denmark, the average home contains 1. Danish housing benefits help pensioners maintain a decent standard of living into old age. The benefit does not take wealth into account and pensioners who own their home are still eligible. If the beneficiary owns their home the supplement is provided on a loan basis, which must be paid back if their home is sold.

The maximum benefit for old age pensioners reached DKK 44 per year in , compared to the standard benefit of DKK 41 Old age pensioners may also qualify for a separate heating supplement.

The heating supplement is means-tested against income, excluding wealth, to support those that need it most. Nearly old age pensioners received the housing benefit and received the heating supplement in In Estonia, the average home contains 1. In Finland, the average home contains 1. In a study, the Boston Consulting Group BCG found that Habitat partner families report reduced psychological distress due to having a more stable living environment. As housing prices rise and more and more Canadians fall into core housing need, the services of food banks are increasingly necessary for families.

As the Ontario Association of Food Banks wrote in a blog post for HuffPost , housing is a non-negotiable cost for many individuals and families. Affordable housing means families pay a mortgage of no more than 30 per cent of their overall income. This allows for more room to spend money on necessities like food. Ultimately, investing in adequate housing is investing in the long-term stability and vitality of families for generations to come.

After moving into their Habitat home, parents worked a stable number of hours across fewer overall jobs and were able to earn more income, according to the BCG report. Adequate housing also brings a plethora of benefits for children, too. Today, on National Housing Day, Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga-Dufferin is excited to be continuing to work towards our vision of a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live.

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