All the Wrong Moves for British Homeowners: Stuart Trow

When it comes to housing policy, the British government motto ought to be: We have met the enemy and it is us.

The law of unintended regulatory, fiscal and monetary consequences has stopped investment in its tracks. Left to its own devices, the market functions pretty well. But right now, for everyone from the homeless to first-time buyers, it’s essentially paralyzed.

Getting specific, according to the OECD, homelessness in the UK is almost 40% higher than the next-worst member country (France), and the problem is getting worse. The annual rate of growth in those without a permanent home is now 14%, according to the ...