There is a widespread belief that an ongoing social problem in many countries is the limited ability of young people to build wealth through home ownership. The point of this exercise is to suggest the right policy choices to support wealth-building among young households in the current situation. The best policy may not always be the same over time.
Given the short length it’s good to narrow down what you want to talk about. One way is to organize the
paper into shorter sections. One way to do this (by no means the only way) would be:
I. Characterize the current environment. Is it a good time to put people into home ownership? Think about a 5-year time horizon. There is no “right” answer here but you should give some reasons for what you think.
II. Is it a good time to relax lending standards for new borrowers? Or is this too risky?
III. Do you think middle aged home owners will move up from starter homes making room for new buyers? Will baby boomers move to warmer climates or age in place? How does the answer impact your choice of policies?
IV. Can new supply be part of the answer? What are the impediments here?
