ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the evidence on the distribution of housing between different social, economic and demographic groups and the factors that impact on this, as well as the strategies that governments can use to influence this. It begins with the factors that influence the distribution of housing such as the overall distribution of income and wealth in a country. An analysis of affordability can be made on a national level, but it is also common to make comparisons for a specific location such as a city or region. Average house prices are compared with average incomes to give an indicator of affordability. Many governments intervene in housing markets in order to change the distribution of benefits in the pursuit of a concept of social justice. Where housing is accessed through market mechanisms, the total amount and the distribution of income and wealth in the society is bound to have a profound influence on the distribution of housing.
