Britain has given up on its young – and they’re right to be angry

For the under-35s, the dream of financial independence is slipping further away. Rents are now higher than many mortgage repayments, yet for most young people, homeownership feels as distant as ever. Wages have barely moved in real terms for over a decade, while the cost of essentials such as energy, food, and childcare has surged.

What we are seeing is a generation priced out not only of the housing market, but of stability itself.

As a property expert, I see this play out every day. Young professionals with good jobs and steady incomes are unable to get onto the ladder because of crippling rental costs and ever-tightening lending criteria. They are paying record sums each month to landlords, often more than a mortgage would cost, but cannot save enough for a deposit because the system is not built to help them transition from renting to owning.

Meanwhile, government policy continues to focus on short-term soundbites rather than long-term reform. The Chancellor’s Budget may deliver marginal tax tweaks, but it will not address the real issues: chronic housing undersupply, unaffordable childcare, and a labour market that has not kept pace with inflation or innovation.

The irony is that young people want to contribute, to buy homes, to build businesses, and to invest in their futures. But they are being locked out at every turn. When 30-year-olds are still living with parents not out of choice but necessity, we should be asking serious questions about how our economy serves its people.

We need radical thinking which means:

• Unlocking affordable housing through incentives for developers to build smaller, energy-efficient homes.

• Supporting renters with a clear pathway to ownership, for example, by turning rent payments into recognised credit history.

• Reforming childcare so that working parents, particularly mothers, are not priced out of the workforce.

• Investing in skills and entrepreneurship so young people have the tools to build security on their own terms.

This generation is not lazy or entitled.

They are ambitious, hard-working, and eager to create change but unless policy starts reflecting their reality, Britain risks losing not just a generation of homeowners, but a generation of hope.

Michelle Niziol is a serial entrepreneur, speaker, and mentor with over two decades of experience building and scaling successful businesses across property, finance, and investment.

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