John Harris’s article struck me deeply, as someone who is turning 30 in July (A lost generation are stuck living with their parents – and Tory talk of housebuilding won’t help them, 22 May). What he says about the political class as a whole neglecting the aspirations and concerns of under-30s in society is not a uniquely British phenomenon, and unfortunately seems to be increasingly entrenched in many advanced societies around the world with rapidly ageing populations.
It seems to me that we’ve come a long way from a leadership – and even societal – mentality of building a better future for our descendant generations, even if it’s one that we will possibly never see in our lifetimes. How much of this is the cynical political calculations of the establishment appealing to the biggest ageing demographic in the voting population, or political disengagement and disillusionment from the younger generation of voting adults is moot – one feeds into the other in a cyclical pattern.
But one thing is certain – even a minority age demographic in the voting population still has influence. And looking beyond the immediate issue of under-30s seeking to vote for change, politicians should be even more concerned about where this young, disaffected and neglected voting demographic will look to for succour.
Andy Wong
Bath
• Where I now live, Spain, there is a similar problem to the one highlighted by John Harris. There is still a tendency for the young to live at home with parents beyond the age of 30, often in apartments, since houses are largely the preserve of the better-off. Rents in cities such as Madrid and Barcelona have rocketed, making it difficult for even young professionals, such as doctors and teachers, to live there. Sharing has become common, as has commuting from outlying areas where rents are cheaper.
In an attempt to tackle the issue, the current socialist government introduced a scheme giving under-35s a monthly grant towards the rent on their first apartment. The cost of securing one can be prohibitive as you need to pay three times the monthly rent upfront. Something similar wouldn’t be a bad idea in the UK.
James Calhoun
Tarragona, Spain
• John Harris’s critique of Labour’s housing policies fails to expose their multiple inconsistencies. First, there are unimplemented planning consents for around 1m homes. The abandoned Labour policy of “use it or lose it” should be readopted, with powers granted for local authorities to compulsorily acquire the land at the pre-consent value.
Second, the announced threat to remove protection from greenbelt land will be welcomed by already frenetically active land speculators, eager to pocket windfall profits from change-of-use consents.
Third, Labour looks likely to step back from earlier suggestions of introducing rent controls for private lets, a measure that the mayor of London has been begging for and which, combined with a requirement for longer tenancy agreements, would remove the desperate need for home ownership.
Any housing policy reliant on the exhortation of housebuilders to flood the market to the point where inflation in house prices is threatened is absurd.
Kate Macintosh
Winchester
• While you are correct that builders tend to focus on three- or four-bedroom houses for profit reasons, why would first-time buyers want a cramped flat in a crowded centre? Surely a surge in affordable two-bed houses would relieve pressure? Terrace housing expanded British cities tremendously during the Industrial Revolution and much of it is still in use. We need to recreate that success and mass build again.
Dan Rainey
Hull
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