4 ms·

Living location is not a type of good that can be chosen freely, it's a necessity. Hence free markets don't really apply here.

• bennysomething 5y ago
  So what's the alternative? Edit: food is also a necessity, should that be government controlled too?
  • candiodari 5y ago
    I think you'll find most European nations have in fact communist-style central price setting for basic food. Nothing comfortable, it's like (one type of) bread and one basic jam that's regulated. Stores have to offer it, they have to ask a specific (very low) price. I hear in france you get cheese too. Which means as long as you're happy with very basic food, you can eat for, I believe in the Netherlands it's 37 euro per month. And yes, you can buy it in any supermarket (I believe the exact rule is that if they sell bread, they have to have this option available at the government mandated price). Of course, in practice there are mostly cheaper options available, so we even have all the parts of communist/government intervention: it mostly misses the point.
  • jevgeni 5y ago
    What I’m saying, is that free market is a bad model for the reality of renting or owning a home.