– Housing and the new generation: Can a young person acquire a home without family assets?
The housing issue is not merely a matter of real estate prices and rents for homes up to 120 sq.m. It has become an issue concerning the autonomy of the new generation, the ability to start a family, and, ultimately, a demographic challenge.
The question is simple: Can a young worker or a young couple in Greece today acquire a home without financial assistance or real estate assets from their family?
By
MANOS KRANIDIS
Civil Engineer (NTUA), MSc,
CEO of “Krama Property” (www.kramaproperty.com),
Information Secretary and Board Member of POMIDA,
President of ENIVOPA, Municipal Councilor of Chalandri
For a large segment of the new generation, the answer is far from simple.
The data is telling. According to Eurostat, in 2024, young people in Greece left their parental home at an average age of 30.7 years, whereas the European average was 26.2 years. Even more concerning is the fact that 30.3% of young people aged 15–29 in Greece lived in households where housing costs exceeded 40% of their disposable income, compared to just 9.7% in the European Union. These figures remain valid today, at the same or even worse levels.
**Prices far outstripping incomes**
The problem is compounded as housing prices continue to rise. According to the Bank of Greece, apartment prices increased by a further 5.7% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, with a 5.2% rise in Athens. These increases follow a rise of 8.1% in 2025 and 9.1% in 2024.
Consequently, a young person must amass a significant down payment and cover purchase costs—and often renovation expenses—while simultaneously meeting banking criteria for a mortgage loan.
This effectively creates two categories of young people: those who have access to family-owned property, financial assistance, or a parental gift of property, and those who must rely solely on their own salaries.
**The family home becomes a necessity**
Staying in the family home is often portrayed as a characteristic feature of the Greek family. Today, however, it is largely a matter of economic necessity. When a young person struggles to rent a home on their own—and finds buying one even more difficult—their full economic and social independence is inevitably delayed. This is where the housing issue intersects with the demographic crisis.
A young couple’s decision to start a family depends on more than just housing; it hinges on income, employment, care services, security, and many other factors. Yet, it is evident that the inability to secure stable, affordable housing acts as a deterrent to family planning.
A housing policy specifically tailored to the younger generation is needed.
Programs like “My Home” (Spiti Mou) offer significant assistance to eligible participants. However, it is not enough to simply subsidize more young people to compete for the same limited housing stock, often driving up property prices in the process.
At the same time, the supply must be increased: more new homes, the activation of vacant apartments, social and affordable housing, student residences, higher incomes, tax and financial incentives for long-term leases, and targeted support tools for young people without family assets—enabling them to acquire a home as the foundation for their new family.
The ability of a young person to move out of their parents’ home is not a luxury. It is a prerequisite for a society that wants its young people to gain independence, start a family, and plan their future in Greece. For this reason, housing must now be treated as a key component of the country’s demographic policy—and, by extension, of our sustainable development.
TO PARON
