Express columnist and Conservative councillor Mieka Smiles says we should prioritise young people stepping onto the property ladder.
Conservative councillor Mieka Smiles says young people could bring new life to troubled communities. (Image: Getty)
Britain’s young people aren’t happy. And frankly, is it any wonder?
Going to university costs a small fortune and, if young people do take on the almighty debt, a job at the end of it is far from guaranteed. Unemployment has risen again, and those in the know are predicting a “youth exodus”, with research by the Adam Smith Institute suggesting that a quarter of young Britons are now thinking about emigrating.
However, I believe that housing is by far the most significant factor contributing to this youth disillusionment. It’s a national shame that many are stuck living with their parents into their 30s and beyond. They are unable to establish a stable foundation and build a life of their own. By the time I was 24, my husband and I had bought our first home and our lives were built around it – new friends, weekend projects and of course working hard to pay for it all. It gave us a sense of responsibility and a stake in society.
The problem isn’t that we need to build millions more homes; Labour is intent on concreting over the countryside to achieve it. In fact, my own town of Middlesbrough has plenty of boarded-up houses in the centre of town. They stand empty and decaying and drag the whole area down.
In recent years, they’ve been snatched up by private contractors who house asylum seekers on behalf of the state. How wrong could our priorities be? Just the other day, in a Welsh seaside town, it was announced that refurbished residential flats would be used to house asylum seekers. These homes should be offered to young people desperate for that first step on the property ladder. Bringing in fresh, young families into these areas could give them a huge boost and breathe new life into communities ravaged by an unrelenting churn.
It’s not even a radical idea. Around a decade ago, a clutch of councils offered this kind of property for just £1 on the condition that new owners would invest and bring it up to standard. We could easily add safeguards to ensure that proud new owners stay for a set period, rather than flipping them for quick cash.
Other countries have wised up to this, too. Italy and Spain have launched similar €1 villa schemes, enticing families away from the UK for a sun-filled adventure. Goodness me, I can certainly see the appeal.
This Government needs to cotton on – and quickly. As Labour scrambles to move migrants out of hotels and into cheap housing, it must finally get its priorities straight. A country that can’t offer its young people a way to put down their roots won’t keep them.
They’ll vote with their feet and take their hopes and dreams elsewhere. And Britain will be poorer for it.
