The Social Mobility Commission (SMC) commissioned CCHPR to undertake research that focused on the relationship between parental background and young people’s access to homeownership. This research formed part of SMC’s role as an advocate for social mobility in the UK, and informed the 2016 State of the Nation report to Parliament.
Over the past few years, homeownership has become less affordable for young people in the UK. Housing tenure is one of the key determinants of perceptions of social class. Difficulties in shifting from renting to buying can therefore be a barrier to intra-generational social mobility. Parental support for first-time buyers can mitigate this but such support is most likely to be forthcoming from parents who already homeowners. While such support cannot fundamentally address problems with large-scale upward intergenerational social mobility it has a part to play and can indeed limit adverse movements. Hence SMC commissioned CCHPR to examine the role that family support plays in young people’s access to homeownership. The research includes static and dynamic analyses of parental help for home ownership and comparative analyses between assisted and unassisted first time buyers.
The impacts of family support on access to homeownership for young people in the UK
Our new research on behalf of the Social Mobility Commission has been published this week showing that the number of first time buyers relying on the 'Bank of Mum and Dad' has hit a historic high. Drawing on Governmental and housing market data, Chihiro Udagawa and colleagues have analysed the recent pattern of parental help for first-time buyers. The research also includes trends and projections of such parental help.
