What Families Mean to Societies
When two people decide to have a child, they take onto an unquestionably tough responsibility of raising a family with love and care. “Live, laugh, love”–the notoriously endearing motto that sits proudly in the porches and living rooms of homeowners truly presents a heart rending spectacle against those houses that inhabit families barely being able to pay the rent.
For families living on rent, the houses or apartments they inhabit isn’t theirs to call home. It is a temporary abode which would be taken away if the monthly rent does not reach a bank account in time. For families living on rent, home is not a place, it is just those individuals in the family who, despite their tight pockets, contribute towards affording a roof over the head.
Family life is important to any country because it is the foundational unit of the society that will propel the country towards achieving socioeconomic and political goals. Family life is rather a contributor to the country’s GDP as the taxes paid ultimately benefit the country and the children borne into families will join the labor force of the country.
Healthy, happy families give rise to healthy, happy communities that can survive national and international challenges well if the country protects the constitutional rights granted to the individuals. Everyone has a right to own property, not just as financial security but to also satisfy the human need for intimate association within the confines of four walls and a roof over the head.
There are about 122,354,219 households in the US, with at least 3 individuals per household. The national rate of homeownership in the US is 64.8%, which means that many families are deprived of houses and they either depend on rented houses or apartments, or are homeless.
Real estate prices have hiked as much as 73% since2000, which means that with time, housing is becoming unaffordable to a large number of families. Out of the homeowner population, only 38.3% are those who are under the age of 35, which means that people starting their families are disadvantaged bylaws such as rent control.
The average cost if rent has increased by 61%, while the medium rent income has increased by only 5% in the last 20 years. As these statistics reveal, the sustenance of a household is being made more difficult with the loss of opportunities to build a house. In other words, the state is failing those households who are unable to afford a house of their own due to low wage incomes and increasing inflation.
What Homes Mean To Families In the USA
Those without houses need the policy makers and lawmakers to understand that laws like rent control do not benefit the renters but the homeowners only. Renters don’t want affordable rents; they want affordable housing. Having a house means having the freedom to raise your children in a controlled environment where everyone has the opportunity to grow healthily. Here are some of the reasons why living in a self-bought, affordable house matters more than living in a rented house or apartment:
1. A Means of Shelter & Protection
Provision of shelter and protection is characteristic of a home. People want to be able to come home from school or work, and into a safe space where they can be themselves. Being able to live in a personal house also allows parents to protect their children from harassers and unwanted company as they have a choice to move from a community that is dangerous for their kids. The helplessness that comes with the inability to protect your child from external environment can leave permanent scars on an individual’s life.
Houses also provide physical protection and shelter, making it easier to receive love and care in normal circumstances as well as emergency situations such as a state-imposed quarantine. Against harsh weather and diseases, against dangerous people and unsafe environments, houses act as forts and barriers without which people would feel defenseless.
2. A Breeding Place For Family Values
A society can only have good individuals having regard for moral values and ethics if there is a safe, comfortable space where they are taught these values informally. Families want to have a home because they can raise their children in a healthy environment and teach them family values that reflect in the actions and word sat the society level. A family learns how to undertake challenges while following the right path of honesty, integrity, patience, courage, empathy, responsibility, and respect which later translate into other interactions with people at school, workplace, in public, etc.
Houses glue people together and provide them a sense of unity with which they remain unshaken against all challenges. Living in a house of your own sets the tone for every individual that the sanctity of this place transcends this spatial confinement and everyone’s actions and words will have consequences. It is possible to have accountability for individuals in a society by encouraging positive family values in houses owned and adorned by families themselves.
3. Stimulant For A Healthy Mindset & Physical Wellness
The constant pressure of having to pay a monthly rent to be able to afford a roof over the head can keep families in a lifetime of challenges and mental pressures. People are unable to yank themselves out of this responsibility and hence end up having hypertension, stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues.
By having their own houses, families can earn a respectable, healthy living that does not demand sacrifices that are often burdensome and always cruel. When people finally buy a house of their own, everyone has a sense of authority that healthily impacts self-esteem and mental health. Upon buying a house, people make all sorts of plans on how they can improve their lifestyles now.
4. Access to Facilities and Benefits
With homeowning come benefits that are bound to attract everyone. The intangible benefits are of course things like pride in homeownership, recognition in the community, integration of family values, etc. Other benefits include property tax deductions, capital gains exclusion, building equity, and other preferential tax treatment.
People are also able to benefit from the community benefits and have a say in the operations occurring in the neighborhood. People can also work on their houses to upboost their resale value. The chances of creating generational wealth are much higher when you have a property of your own. We don’t see any reason why someone with a family shouldn’t strive for such benefits that could be advantageous to generations to come.
5. A Source of Financial Security & Privacy
When families buy their own houses, they gain a sense of financial security while also attaining the privacy of their actions. Hard-earned money can be invested into houses, giving the families something to fall back on in harsh times. The resale value further gives families relief in protecting their children from any struggles in the future. Wealth preservation directly helps the family in financial planning in normal and special circumstances. Homeowning takes away the uncertainty of rent rises, availabilities, and evictions. It also takes away the mental stress of paying monthly dues for a temporary abode and earners of the house can invest their energy and time onto some other family-oriented planning.
