Negotiating Independence: Housing Transitions of Younger People and Family Support in the UK and Japan

The restructuring of welfare states coupled with changes in housing systems across advanced economies have exposed deepening inequalities in the housing transitions of younger people. Japan and the UK are two countries in which ownership of housing has been avidly supported by governments and considered key to sustaining a welfare system based on individual responsibility.  However, labor market changes and economic upheavals have challenged both these systems. Younger generations, entering the housing market in the last decade, have especially felt the effects. Family support has become a main factor determining housing transitions, as evidence suggests that inter-vivo transfers and in kind support both speed up transitions and make them smoother. Using data from qualitative interviews with young households who have achieved residential independence and members of their family networks who supported them, this paper will trace the housing trajectories of younger people, focusing on the negotiations of family support and the generational interdependencies that the giving and receiving of support create.