3/08/2010

A little window dressing not going to work

The few changes in housing policy are not going to make any difference. The target of 30% of the buyers household income is fixed and viewed as affordable and reasonable to take. No need to bother about cost of construction, no need to bother about the risk that the buyers will be exposed to. In such cases, the bigger the income the bigger the stone mill hanging on the neck. And when a crisis comes, the bigger the income/stone mill, the bigger the losses and pain. We have got through that many times. Preventing people from buying what the people think is affordable to them, and dictating what is affordable to the people is another mean policy like the mean testing in hospital admissions. The govt decides on what the people should spend as reasonable and affordable. The people cannot decide what is prudent for themselves. And like the deaf frog, no need to listen, just move on, bring it higher for the good of the people.

2 comments:

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

> The govt decides on what the people should spend as reasonable and affordable.

You forget, public housing is a state system, an institution. Therefore it is up to the government to decide how this system should work.

>The people cannot decide what is prudent for themselves.

Not directly no. This is not the "free market". People who want to decide how to act and exercise their choices freely are free to engage in purchases and sales in the private market.

Public housing is NOT built around "choice". If there is "choice" in the system it is an "add on" or a "bonus".

You cannot have it both ways: either you have the state in your life, or you don't.

Anonymous said...

Please do not abuse the word 'free'.

How 'free' can it be when one can't even choose not to cast his/her vote.

Voting is compulsory, isn't it ?

What's free market, free speech, free.........???