Comparing Housing Systems

Unlike other work in the field, this comparative study of housing in the United States and Britain focuses on housing performance. Professor Karn and Professor Wolman begin by identifying and comparing the most important aspects of the performance of housing systems: housing supply and quality, its cost to occupants, equity and distribution, and housing investment and production. In the second part of the book they go on to account for the difference in housing performance that their initial examination reveals. They consider a wide range of factors, including housing institutions, wealth and income and cultural predisposition. But the main part of their discussion focuses on differences in public policy in Britain and the USA and they examine in detail how these contribute to the success or otherwise of British and American housing systems. Finally the authors examine "housing policy agendas" in both countries, looking particularly at the extent to which shortcomings in housing performance are recognized as such and included in public policy planning.Table of ContentEvaluating a nation's housing; comparing US and British housing - production, supply and quality, equity, distribution and access; accounting for differences between the US and UK housing systems; public policy to promote public and private investment in housing production; public policy and housing quality; public policy and the promotion of home ownership; public policy and tenure choice - the private rental sector; public policy, housing affordability and access to housing services - public and non-profit rental housing, the distributional effect of subsidies to tenants and other forms of cost reduction subsidies; the housing policy agenda in Britain; the housing policy agenda in the United States.