In this commentary, TJ Walker outlines the escalating housing affordability crisis across Europe, focusing on how young people are being forced into protest and even tent camps, as seen in Madrid. He highlights a 15‑year‑old French teenager’s desire for a stable job without constant financial stress, contrasting it with the reality that starter homes are now as cheap as a nylon tent. Walker critiques the welfare state’s intergenerational contract: past generations could retire early, draw pensions for decades, and buy homes at modest prices, while today’s youth cannot afford even a studio. He frames this imbalance as a “hammock for grandpa” supported by the younger generation. The narrative intensifies with the eviction of an 87‑year‑old resident in Madrid, illustrating that the conflict has shifted from a simple old‑vs‑young divide to a broader owners‑versus‑everyone struggle. The piece combines anecdotal evidence, economic reasoning, and a moral argument to argue that systemic reforms are needed to address the housing crisis and its intergenerational inequities.
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