There will never be a "normal" housing market until the government starts to treat it as the food market. That is, as an absolute life necessity that needs to to be heavily regulated and subsidized to ensure everyone has access.
In general, food in the US is not heavily regulated and that's why we have some of the cheapest and most varied foods in the world.
If you added up the entire market for all retail and food services-- we are talking trillions of dollars a year in sales. The subsidizes are small. Think restaurants, grocery stores, food processing, etc that are all in this category.
Going from this hellscape to whatever is going on in Stockholm would definitely be an improvement.
Are you sure?:
"Sweden has not built enough rental(s) ... meaning long queues for rent-controlled housing ... average waiting time was 9 years in 2020" [1]
"...fuelled a thriving sub-letting or "second-hand" market, with "first-hand" renters and owners alike offering apartments to tenants for very high prices, despite regulations designed to stop people being ripped-off." [2]
"70% of local authorities reported a housing shortage in 2020." [1]
"...strict rent controls discourage developers from building and individuals from renting out vacant properties..." [1]
"Generous mortgage tax breaks encourage households to buy property and the combination has forced up house prices and household borrowing to levels that threaten the economy" [1]
"Home prices have risen around 18% over the last year alone" [1]
"Regulations ... are also fuelling market instability" [2]
"'I have a lot of friends who are struggling - moving many times per year,' says Maria Grigorenko, a 29-year-old brand manager in Stockholm" [2]
[1] https://www.reuters.com/article/sweden-housing/factbox-dysfu...
Despite its complex challenges, Sweden is in a better position on housing than many other EU countries. Only around 8% of Swedes live in households spending more than 40% of disposable income on housing, compared to 15% in the UK and almost 40% in Greece, according Eurostat data. Swedes are also less likely to live with their parents than any other young Europeans. But until recently, getting a well-maintained, rent-controlled apartment straight after school is something some Swedes have just taken "for granted", argues Liza, a 37-year-old tech worker, who didn't want to share her last name. She moved to London from Stockholm last year, and believes Swedes complaining about housing shortages would do well to put their struggles in a wider context. "In the UK, apartments are often super old and not of good standard, even though the rent would be much more than in Sweden."
What really matters is *what* is allowed and prohibited and who benefits from it.
In many countries regulatory capture led to building and zoning laws that serve to the interest of large investors groups as well as small speculators.
People who have a home as necessity rather than an investment are put at a disadvantage.
The intentions and behavior of the buyer can be profoundly different.
Unsurprisingly, most countries have different regulations for first home buyer VS local investors VS foreign investors.
If anything it's silly not wanting to acknowledge the difference. Or perhaps a bit cheeky.
...which happens all the time, especially with large speculative investors.
> it isn’t going to have an effect
Besides, it's also plain wrong, obviously. Owners have an effect on the occupancy rate. The same house can be occupied by 2, 3 or 4 for example.