IELTS Writing Task 2: Housing shortage in cities

Finding an affordable place to live has become one of the greatest difficulties of city life. In many urban areas, rents and house prices have risen far faster than wages. This essay will examine the main reasons for the shortage and suggest some ways in which it could be reduced.

There are two principal causes. The first is that demand has grown much more quickly than supply. Cities attract people because that is where the jobs and universities are, so the population rises every year, yet new homes are built slowly because land is scarce and planning permission takes a long time. The second cause is that housing is increasingly treated as an investment. Wealthy buyers and companies purchase flats in order to rent them out or simply to wait for prices to rise, and some properties are left empty. As a result, first-time buyers are competing with people who have far more money.

Several measures could improve the situation. Most importantly, governments and city councils should build large numbers of low-cost homes themselves, or require developers to include affordable flats in every new project. Old offices and unused industrial sites could be converted into housing, which avoids building on green space. In addition, taxes could be raised on second homes and on properties that are left empty, which would encourage owners to sell or let them. Finally, improving transport links to nearby towns would allow people to live further away and still reach work easily, reducing the pressure on the centre.

In conclusion, the shortage of affordable housing results from a rising urban population and from the use of homes as investments. It can be tackled by building more low-cost housing, taxing empty properties and making it easier to live outside the city.