When a person buys a house, and pays money into that loan, they are essentially paying themselves, as they accrue net value on an asset they can sell later. When a person rents a house, that money is just gone. There is no value return, you have essentially just bought the opportunity to live in a house for a period of time. Therefore, over time, the person that owns the house will have more assets than the person renting, even if they make the same.
antfucker99 t1_itbhg7o wrote
Reply to comment by subzero112001 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
When a person buys a house, and pays money into that loan, they are essentially paying themselves, as they accrue net value on an asset they can sell later. When a person rents a house, that money is just gone. There is no value return, you have essentially just bought the opportunity to live in a house for a period of time. Therefore, over time, the person that owns the house will have more assets than the person renting, even if they make the same.