Homeownership Fetish Breeds New Slums

When a national policy and culture prioritizes ownership and ties wealth to property, shortages, eviction cascades and informal settlements can reappear even in wealthy countries. The UK example — a licensed 50‑caravan site ballooning to ~1,500 occupants and housing evicted tenants, migrants and the destitute — shows how market incentives and enforcement gaps create modern shantytowns. — If true, this reframes housing policy as not just affordability but as a driver of slum formation and social breakdown, making land‑policy reform a central political issue.