Housing

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Latvia, households on average spend nearly 21% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, slightly more than the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Latvia, the average home contains 1.2 rooms per person, less than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, 88.8% of dwellings in Latvia contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, one of the lowest rates in the OECD, where the average is 97%.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In South Africa, households on average spend 18% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, below the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In South Africa, the average home contains less rooms per person, than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities however, only 64% of dwellings in South Africa contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, considerably lower than the OECD average of 97%.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question of whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Australia, households on average spend over 19% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, broadly in line with the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Australia, the average home contains more than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, the percentage of dwellings in Australia that contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, is more than the OECD average of 97%.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Austria, households on average spend about 21% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, slightly above the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Austria, the average home contains 1.6 rooms per person, slightly  less than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, 99.3% of dwellings in Austria contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, more than the OECD average of 97%.

Better Policies for Better Lives 

Good housing

People in Austria enjoy a relatively high standard of housing. With about 1.6 rooms per person, living space requirements are well met and only 1% of the population live in dwellings without basic sanitary facilities.

Housing is also affordable due to sizeable housing subsidies, a large social and co-operative housing market and widespread rent control in the private market. People spend about 21% of their disposable income on housing, in line with the OECD average. However, people below the relative poverty threshold are significantly more likely to live in overcrowded places, face insufficient housing quality and/or are overburdened by housing costs and the population with a migrant background appears to be particularly disadvantaged. However, some improvements in the living conditions of immigrants have taken place recently, for example thanks to better access to social housing.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Belgium, households on average spend 20% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, in line with the OECD average.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Belgium, the average home contains 2.1 rooms per person, more than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person and one of the highest rates in the OECD. In terms of basic facilities, 99.3% of dwellings in Belgium containprivate access toan indoor flushing toilet, more than the OECD average of 97%.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. 

But in addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Brazil, the average home contains less rooms per person, than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, 93.3% of dwellings in Brazil contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, less than the OECD average of 97%.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Canada, households on average spend 23% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, above the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Canada, the average home contains 2.6 rooms per person, more than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person and the highest rate in the OECD. In terms of basic facilities, nearly every dwelling (99.8%) in Canada contains private access to an indoor flushing toilet, more than the OECD average of 97%.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Making rents affordable

In cities such as Toronto and Vancouver municipal governments rezoned all single family neighbourhoods in the 2000s to allow homeowners to rent out secondary/basement suites within their properties or "laneway" houses, thereby increasing affordable rental supply. Laneway houses are smaller detached dwellings usually located in the backyard of a single-family lot with access to a back lane. While secondary suites existed before, many were unauthorised and illegal.

Encouraging such forms of housing has been a major part of Vancouver's housing affordability strategy, since their rents tend to be lower. It has increased the supply of lower-cost rental housing, while helping homeowners pay down their own mortgages and increasing the social diversity of single-family neighbourhoods. Furthermore, because many secondary suites allow access to a yard, they may be more appealing to families than conventional rental apartments. These benefits suggest it would be worthwhile for other cities facing shortages of affordable rental housing to legalise secondary suites and laneway houses in all single-family zones, although homeowner resistance has been a major obstacle to change in many municipalities across Canada.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Chile, households on average spend 18% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, below the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Chile, the average home contains 1.9 rooms per person, above the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, 90.6% of dwellings in Chile contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, less than the OECD average of 97%.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Diversifying and improving housing

Chile has taken concrete steps to improve the living conditions of more vulnerable populations. The Social Housing Recovery Programme allows owners of housing complexes that are beyond improvement or repair to transfer them to the Housing and Urbanisation Service in exchange for a housing subsidy. Residents are then able to purchase a home that is in good condition. The government recovers the land to develop urban renewal projects.

Between 280 000 and 344 000 families are eligible for the Social Housing Improvement Programme. This programme improves the quality of complexes that are in poor but recoverable condition. Funding is allocated for each household that is part of an improvement project, and applicants also make a small contribution.

Chao Suegra (Goodbye mother-in-law) is a rental housing subsidy programme to help young adults purchase their own home. The programme was launched in 2014 with a quota for 5 000 applicants, limited to heads of household aged 21-30. Applicants are offered assistance of up to CLP 200 000 (about USD 360) for a 5-year period. The first group of applicants was 82% women, and had an average household size of 2.6 members, 26 years old, and an average rental payment of 304 000 (about USD 550).

Supporting private rental housing in Chile

A small share of households live in rented housing in Chile (16%) compared to other OECD countries (20%) and in Chile the private rental sector caters more to high income households than to low-income ones, contrary to what happens in most OECD countries. This is probably in part the result of Chile's housing policy in the past decades, which has supported access to homeownership among low and middle-income households but provided no support to the rental sector.

A stronger access to rental housing for lower and middle-income households can help improve residential mobility and reduce residential segregation. In 2013, Chile introduced a pilot rental subsidy programme, which provides means-tested rental vouchers to young families. The voucher provides a flat payment, directly to the landlord, for a period of time limited to five years. The subsidy is highly portable in case of relocation and allows for some payment flexibility to avoid evictions in the face of a temporary income loss. This programme is a good start to a more tenure-neutral housing policy in Chile but actions should be considered to support the supply of good-quality private but also social rental dwellings.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In the Czechia, households on average spend 23% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, above the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In the Czechia, the average home contains 1.5 rooms per person, less than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, 99.5% of dwellings in the Czechia contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, more than the OECD average of 97%.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Denmark, households on average spend 23% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, above the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Denmark, the average home contains 1.9 rooms per person, more than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, 99.5% of dwellings in Denmark contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, more than the OECD average of 97%.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Decent housing in old age

Danish housing benefits help pensioners maintain a decent standard of living into old age. The benefit does not take wealth into account and pensioners who own their home are still eligible. If the beneficiary owns their home the supplement is provided on a loan basis, which must be paid back if their home is sold. The maximum benefit for old age pensioners reached DKK 44 844 per year in 2015, compared to the standard benefit of DKK 41 928.

Old age pensioners may also qualify for a separate heating supplement. The heating supplement is means-tested against income, excluding wealth, to support those that need it most. Nearly 290 000 old age pensioners received the housing benefit and 167 000 received the heating supplement in 2013. 

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Estonia, households on average spend 17% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, below the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Estonia, the average home contains 1.7 rooms per person, in line with the OECD average. In terms of basic facilities, 94.3% of dwellings in Estonia contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, less than the OECD average of 97%.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Finland, households on average spend 23% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, above the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Finland, the average home contains 1.9 rooms per person, more than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, 99.6% of dwellings in Finland contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, more than the OECD average of 97%.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In France, households on average spend 21% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, slightly above the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In France, the average home contains 1.8 rooms per person, broadly in line with the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, 99.5% of dwellings in France contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, more than the OECD average of 97%.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Germany, households on average spend 20% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, in line with the OECD average.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Germany, the average home contains 1.8 rooms per person, broadly in line with the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, nearly every dwelling (99.9%) in Germany contains private access to an indoor flushing toilet, compared with an OECD average of 97%. 

 

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Greece, households on average spend 22% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, above the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Greece, the average home contains 1.2 rooms per person, less than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, 99.6% of dwellings in Greece contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, more than the OECD average of 97%.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Hungary, households on average spend 20% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, in line with the OECD average.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Hungary, the average home contains 1.4 rooms per person, less than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, 96.5% of dwellings in Hungary contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, slightly less than the OECD average of 97%.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs.

But in addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Iceland, the average home contains 1.6 rooms per person, slightly less than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, 100% of dwellings sampled in Iceland contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, compared with an OECD average of 97%.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Affordable housing for low-income families

A shortfall between housing supply and demand has driven up housing prices in Iceland, particularly affecting affordability among low-income families in private rentals. To rebalance the market by restraining demand and to help vulnerable families, the government introduced a reform limiting the ability of the Housing Financing Fund to authorise new loans in 2016, while shifting policy to directly providing housing to low-income families. For example, the government committed to supplying 400 new housing units in 2016 and creating more transparent housing benefits.

Beginning in 2017, the government also introduced limits on the short-term rental market, in part to protect tenants, although the measure is also expected to help ease some of the pressures that are pushing housing prices up.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Ireland, households on average spend 21% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, broadly in line with the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Ireland, the average home contains 2.1 rooms per person, more than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, nearly every dwelling (99.8%) in Ireland contains private access to an indoor flushing toilet, more than the OECD average of 97%.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. 

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Israel, the average home contains 1.2 rooms per person, less than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person.  

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Italy, households on average spend 23% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, above the OECD average of 20%.

 

 

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Italy, the average home contains 1.4 rooms per person, less than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities however, 99.4% of dwellings in Italy contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, more than the OECD average of 97%. 

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Japan, households on average spend 22% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, above the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Japan, the average home contains 1.9 rooms per person, higher the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, 93.6% of dwellings in Japan contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, less than the OECD average of 97%.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Korea, households on average spend 15% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, the lowest level in the OECD, where the average is 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Korea, the average home contains 1.5 room per person, less than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, 97.5% of dwellings in Korea contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, slightly more than the OECD average of 97%.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Luxembourg, households on average spend nearly 21% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, slightly more than the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions.Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Luxembourg, the average home contains 2 rooms per person, more than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, nearly every dwelling (99.9%) in Luxembourg contains private access to an indoor flushing toilet, more than the OECD average of 97%.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Mexico, households on average spend 18% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, lower than the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Mexico, the average home contains 1.1 room per person, less than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person and one of the lowest rates in the OECD. In terms of basic facilities, 74.1% of dwellings in Mexico contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, considerably less than the OECD average of 97%. 

Better Policies for Better Lives

Smart urban planning

Housing and urban policy reform is a priority under the current administration. The government wants to reduce the housing deficit that still affects around 35% of Mexican households and stop the inefficient development patterns of recent decades. Despite the country’s rapid urbanisation, Mexico has until very recently lacked an urban policy to guide urban development. In the past, Mexican authorities have focussed on building houses, rather than building cities, and urban policy happened by accident through housing policy. But Mexico is now beginning to transition out of this type of policies.

This new approach to housing and urban policy shifts from quantitative objectives for housing to a more explicit qualitative focus on housing and the urban environment. The objectives are made explicit in the National Housing Programme 2014-21, which aims to: i) provide decent housing for Mexicans, ii) address the housing gap, iii) transition toward a smarter, more sustainable urban development model and iv) improve inter-institutional co-ordination.

Renovating social housing

The private company Provive and the Tú y Yo foundation work collaboratively to improve the physical and social conditions of Mexican neighbourhoods. Together they renovate abandoned social housing that is then resold to stimulate urban regeneration. Provive buys, repairs, and sells the homes, while Tú y Yo works with the community to develop social cohesion. Provive supports these efforts to engage the community, with a contribution equivalent to 5% of the home sale value. By 2015, 2 000 homes were resold with neighbourhoods improved in Tijuana, Mexicali and Ciudad Júarez.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In the Netherlands, households on average spend almost 20% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, broadly in line with the OECD average.

 

 

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In the Netherlands, the average home contains 2 rooms per person, more than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, nearly 100% of dwellings sampled in the Netherlands contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, compared with an OECD average of 97%. 

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In New Zealand, households on average spend 26% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, the highest in the OECD, where the average is 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In New Zealand, the average home contains 2.4 rooms per person, more than the OECD average of 1.8 rooms per person and one of the highest rates in the OECD.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Keeping houses warm

The energy performance of New Zealand’s bulding stock is generally low. In 2009-16, the flagship Warm Up New Zealand programmes had an overall budget of USD 350 million to provide households with subsidies for improving house insulation and heating. The programmes helped retrofit nearly 300 000 homes (or nearly 20% of the housing stock), about half of which were occupied by low-income households. As from 2016, the programme has focused on insulation of rental properties occupied by low-income tenants with priority health needs related to cold and damp housing. The 2016 Residential Tenancies Amendment Act introduced stricter floor and roof insulation requirements for rented homes and social housing.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Norway, households on average spend 18% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, below the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Norway, the average home contains 2.1 rooms per person, more than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, the nearly every dwelling sampled in Norway contains private access to an indoor flushing toilet, more than the OECD average of 97%. 

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Poland, households on average spend 21% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, slightly above the OECD average of 20%.

But in addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Poland, the average home contains 1.1 rooms per person, less than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person and one of the lowest rates in the OECD. In terms of basic facilities, 97.7% of dwellings in Poland contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, slightly above the OECD average of 97%. 

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Portugal, households on average spend nearly 20% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, in line with the OECD average.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Portugal, the average home contains 1.7 rooms per person, in line with the OECD average. In terms of basic facilities, 99.1% of dwellings in Portugal contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, more than the OECD average of 97%. 

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In the Russian Federation, households on average spend about 17% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, below the OECD average of 20%.

 

 

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Russia, the average home contains 1 room per person, less than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, 86.2% of dwellings in Russia contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, considerably less than the OECD average of 97%.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In the Slovak Republic, households on average spend more than 27% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, one of the highest in the OECD, where the average is  20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In the Slovak Republic, the average home contains 1.1 rooms per person, less than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person and one of the lowest rates in the OECD. In terms of basic facilities, 98.5% of dwellings in the Slovak Republic contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, more than the OECD average of 97%.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Slovenia, households on average spend 18% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, below the OECD average of 20%.

 

 

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Slovenia, the average home contains 1.6 rooms per person, slightly lower than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities however, nearly every dwelling (99.8%) sampled in Slovenia contains private access to an indoor flushing toilet, more than the OECD average of 97%.

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Spain, households on average spend nearly 22% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, above the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Spain, the average home contains 1.9 rooms per person, more than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, nearly every dwelling (99.7%) sampled in Spain contains private access to an indoor flushing toilet, more than the OECD average of 97%.

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Sweden, households on average spend 20% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, in line with the OECD average.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Sweden, the average home contains 1.7 rooms per person, in line with the OECD average. In terms of basic facilities, 100% of dwellings sampled in Sweden contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, compared with an OECD average of 97%. 

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Switzerland, households on average spend above 21% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, above the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Switzerland, the average home contains 1.9 rooms per person, more than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, nearly every dwelling  sampled in Switzerland contains private access to an indoor flushing toilet, compared with an OECD average of 97%. 

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Türkiye, households on average spend 19% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, less than the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Türkiye, the average home contains 1 room per person, less than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person and one of the lowest rates in the OECD. In terms of basic facilities, 95.1% of dwellings in Türkiye contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, less than the OECD average of 97.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In the United Kingdom, households on average spend 23% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, above the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In the United Kingdom, the average home contains 2 rooms per person, more than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, 99.5% of dwellings in the United Kingdom contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, more than the OECD average of 97%.

More Resources

• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In the United States, households on average spend 18% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, below the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children’s development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In the United States, the average home contains 2.4 rooms per person, much more than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, nearly every dwelling (99.9%) sampled in the United States contains private access to an indoor flushing toilet, more than the OECD average of 97%.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Social housing for the elderly

The number of seniors living in the United States is expected to double by 2030. Most elderly people living in rural areas live in single-family homes and have difficulty accessing appropriate health and social care services.

The government has introduced social housing for elderly people living in rural areas to help provide low- and middle-income seniors with adequate and affordable living conditions. The Housing and Development's (HUD) Section 202 programme provides low-income seniors with options for living independently while having access to needed support. Sponsors can access interest-free capital advances to develop supportive housing. Participating sponsors are not required to pay back these advances as long as they serve elderly low-income people for at least 40 years. The remaining cost of project-rental assistance that is not covered by tenant rents and HUD operating costs are covered through rental assistance funds.

The main success of the programme is that it allows the elderly maintain their independence by living in their own homes for longer than they would be able to otherwise. The recent drop in the number of units allocated through this programme should be reversed to continue supporting the needs of the ageing population.

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• How's Life?: Measuring Well-being