Be homeless or live in an overpriced non-rent-controlled apartment.
I'm surprised he managed to write how great housing in Stockholm is with a straight face as everyone knows how terrible this system is for those who can't get a rent controlled apartment.
Obviously this can work in your favor if you're a local and can get in the que when you turn 18 and hit the jackpot when you're 28 but not if you're a foreigner in your 20s or 30s trying to move to Stockholm.
But instead of that lasting forever since their situation never becomes so that they can afford to buy a nice home, which is the case for many people, they only have to deal with that for 10 years at which point they get a lot of choices for nice homes at an affordable price.
Gotta say, I feel bad for Europeans. In the states just about everyone can afford what you’d probably consider a “nice home” at an “affordable price”.
To put it into perspective; at 20 my friend bought a house in the suburbs — 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 0.3 acres; decent neighborhood, driveway for his 2 cars; etc. he’s not college educated and cuts trees down for a living.
On average Americans make an income of 2-4x their European counterparts (depending on industry). The houses in the US cost less, taxes are less and opportunities are greater.
You can look this all up.
While there are homeless and people in trailers, on average it’s because (a) they’re drug addicts who don’t want to live by their own rules (b) people living cheap, trying to get ahead or (c) Elderly, often inept, people who get trapped.
Trailer parks are particularly bad as they lock you into (effectively) renting. Outside of a few major(poorly run & corridor) cities, eg Chicago, SF, LA, NYC, etc the homeless rates are relatively low.
It is not allowed for the most part in rent-controlled housing.
It is also illegal to charge more than the actual rent for subletting, even if you can sublet.
I'm surprised he managed to write how great housing in Stockholm is with a straight face as everyone knows how terrible this system is for those who can't get a rent controlled apartment.
Obviously this can work in your favor if you're a local and can get in the que when you turn 18 and hit the jackpot when you're 28 but not if you're a foreigner in your 20s or 30s trying to move to Stockholm.