No, but things like SROs and boarding houses and just renting a room used to be far more common. In the 60s and 70s, something like 80% of SROs were torn down (

No, but things like SROs and boarding houses and just renting a room used to be far more common. In the 60s and 70s, something like 80% of SROs were torn down (in the US -- I realize the article is about the UK). In the US, SROs are now mostly slum housing for chronically homeless with addictions and mental health issues. This was not always true. They used to be a common way for a young person starting out to have a space of their own that they could afford. Our expectations for housing these days is very much rooted in norms that grew out of the Baby Boom generation. That generation was a huge anomaly and the way it has shaped policy and assumptions is hugely problematic.