ABOUT BOOK

Through narrative interviews with younger adults and their parents , ~this paper explores how the housing transitions of younger adults, ~both within the rental sector and into homeownership, are shaped ~through intergenerational intra-family support in Germany’s ~society of renters. Our fi ndings highlight the profound qualitative ~diff erences between regular transfers for establishing and retaining ~residential independence in the rental sector and inter vivos gifts for ~house purchase. Where the former support type is given and taken ~unconditionally, transfers for house purchase follow a diff erent ~logic and carry diff erent meanings. Being a necessary condition for ~property acquisition at young age, they have the power to completely ~rebalance family relations and undermine younger adults’ autonomy ~accordingly. In an aggregate perspective, our study further suggests ~increasing socio-spatial inequalities within the younger generation ~which run along both class and spatial origin, sharply dividing the ~housing market opportunities of ‘original Berliners’ and those who ~have moved to the city from more affl uent regions in Germany.