Housing shortfall, costs and affordability

[danbrotherston]

I wonder what North Americans would think of Dutch housing. I think if that was offered here for the same prices as today, people would not be happy.

“How come my parents got a 5br suburban house and all I get is a “European shoebox”?!?”

I do think financialization and ownership are the same on this issue. The average person has never owned their own land/roof for all of human history - until after the war. I wonder if it’s an impossible standard to try and continue.

I think a lot of Canadians would scoff at the numbers for Dutch housing (I live in a 1000 sq ft house for example), but if they instead of doing that, lived in such housing, they'd be quite a bit happier.

You can get a 5 bedroom suburban house here, but it is in the 1500-2000 sq ft range instead of the 3000-4000 sq ft range. The space here is used far more efficiently. Like, part of it is not needing a 3 car garage and 3 car driveway in front. But there's also just differences in the layout. Windows are bigger. Stairs are smaller. Toilets are separate from bathrooms. Wardrobes are used instead of closets. Attics are livable. Backyards are developed and used. There are just so many smart decisions made WRT space. Using bikes and trains for transportation is just the tip of the iceberg.

As for financialisation vs. ownership, I strongly feel that you are wrong, but I also lack any sort of data to prove it (even just being specific about the terms involved is a challenge--financialisation is obviously vague but even ownership is not as cut and dry as the law suggests), so this is mostly vibes.