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Mortgage Equity Withdrawal in Australia and Britain: Towards a Wealth-fare State?

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  • Sharon Parkinson
  • Beverley Searle
  • Susan Smith
  • Alice Stoakes
  • Gavin Wood

Abstract

Across the decade to 2007, a combination of house price appreciation and relaxed credit constraints gave a boost to consumption through the mechanism of mortgage equity withdrawal (MEW). Arguably, this kept developed economies buoyant, even through periods of recession. This paper uses panel data on British and Australian homeowners to show that, notwithstanding its macro-economic effects, such borrowing has far-reaching implications for the micro-economy of households. The data indicate that, for the period 2001–2005, equity borrowing was a common tactic. The sums involved were not trivial, were not limited to older cohorts, or the province simply of the rich. In fact, the events and circumstances associated with equity borrowing at the zenith of the last housing cycle were consistent with an insurance, as well as a general consumption, role for MEW. As house prices fall and credit constraints are re-introduced, the options for such borrowing will shrink. Recent financial shocks may, by reducing the availability of a key channel from housing wealth into consumption, prompt a crisis of welfare. They pose challenges for housing and social policy as well as for economic management.

Suggested Citation

  • Sharon Parkinson & Beverley Searle & Susan Smith & Alice Stoakes & Gavin Wood, 2009. "Mortgage Equity Withdrawal in Australia and Britain: Towards a Wealth-fare State?," European Journal of Housing Policy, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 9(4), pages 365-389.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:eurjhp:v:9:y:2009:i:4:p:365-389
    DOI: 10.1080/14616710903357185
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    Cited by:

    1. Declan French & Donal McKillop & Tripti Sharma, 2017. "Analysis of Housing Equity Withdrawal by its Forms," CHaRMS Working Papers 17-04, Centre for HeAlth Research at the Management School (CHaRMS).
    2. Susan J Smith & Melek Cigdem & Rachel Ong & Gavin Wood, 2017. "Wellbeing at the edges of ownership," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 49(5), pages 1080-1098, May.
    3. Rachel Ong & Gavin Wood & Val Colic-Peisker, 2015. "Housing older Australians: Loss of homeownership and pathways into housing assistance," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 52(16), pages 2979-3000, December.
    4. Veronica John Muellbauer & Veronica David M Williams, 2012. "Credit conditions and the real economy: the elephant in the room," BIS Papers chapters, in: Bank for International Settlements (ed.), Property markets and financial stability, volume 64, pages 95-101, Bank for International Settlements.
    5. Rachel Ong & Gavin Wood & Siobhan Austen & Therese Jefferson & Marietta E.A. Haffner, 2014. "Housing Equity Withdrawal in Mid-To-Late Life: Patterns and Motivations Amongst Australian Home Owners," Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre Working Paper series WP1406, Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School.
    6. Tom Barnes, 2024. "Rethinking job loss in an age of assetisation: Lessons from the study of precarious older workers," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 56(3), pages 717-735, May.
    7. Beverley Searle, 2011. "Recession and housing wealth," Journal of Financial Economic Policy, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 3(1), pages 33-48, April.
    8. Gordon L. Clark & Stephen Almond & Kendra Strauss, 2012. "The Home, Pension Savings and Risk Aversion: Intentions of the Defined Contribution Pension Plan Participants of a London-based Investment Bank at the Peak of the Bubble," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 49(6), pages 1251-1273, May.
    9. Dag Einar Sommervoll & Gavin Wood, 2011. "Home equity insurance," Journal of Financial Economic Policy, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 3(1), pages 66-85, April.
    10. Nicole Cook & Kristian Ruming, 2021. "The financialisation of housing and the rise of the investor-activist," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(10), pages 2023-2039, August.
    11. Crommelin, Laura & Troy, Laurence & Martin, Chris & Parkinson, Sharon & Hayward, Richard Donald, 2018. "Technological disruption in private housing markets: the case of Airbnb," SocArXiv cb8z3, Center for Open Science.
    12. Lenarčič, Črt, 2022. "Drivers of household arrears: an euro area country panel data analysis," MPRA Paper 114558, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. John Muellbauer & Pierre St-Amant & David Williams, 2015. "Credit Conditions and Consumption, House Prices and Debt: What Makes Canada Different?," Staff Working Papers 15-40, Bank of Canada.
    14. Gavin Wood & Sharon Parkinson & Beverley Searle & Susan J. Smith, 2013. "Motivations for Equity Borrowing: A Welfare-switching Effect," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 50(12), pages 2588-2607, September.

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