The Myth of the Promised Land: The Social Diffusion of Home Ownership in Britain and North America

North America has been viewed as a land of opportunity, where not only a high proportion of families but also families of diverse social backgrounds have been able to acquire a home. From a comparative perspective, this perception is less accurate today than it was a century ago. In the late nineteenth century the overall level of home ownership was higher in Canada and the U.S. than it was in England and Wales, but lately the gap has closed. …