SportySaturn t1_itc5nz6 wrote on October 22, 2022 at 2:52 PM

Reply to comment by FwibbFwibb in Many countries have a "hidden welfare state" for incumbent homeowners, as governments subsidize homeowners through the tax system. The homeownership welfare state is strongest in the US and other Anglophone countries, but weakest in the Scandinavian countries. by smurfyjenkins

>Did you just ignore that the title SPECIFICALLY said INCUMBENT homeowners?

Haha. You're awfully worked up for someone that didn't make it past the reddit post title. Did you notice that the title of the post isn't the title of the paper, by chance? On that note, did you know there is a whole article on another site behind the reddit title?

>This is about people who already own a home.

I assure you it's not (exclusively), as it deals with topics like "value-added tax on newly built dwellings"

At any rate, my confused non-reading fellow, my point is that things like FHA loans (unmentioned) and mortgage interest deductions belong in the same bucket. That bucket is, in intention and in de facto consequence, about promoting home ownership. It's not about creating a welfare state for the wealthy as the paper would like to frame them.

>Why should someone who already owns a home get taxpayer subsidies?

It's an incentive to purchase and makes it less difficult to continue owning. Whether tax incentives should be considered subsidies is oddly contentious. IMO it shouldn't be since you're not subsidizing anything by not taking things away. But to answer your question about why home ownership should be incentivized and made easier: it's because home ownership is good for society, and we should want as many people to be able to purchase and keep their homes as possible.