Housing and Credit
The Challenge
.jpg)
Youth need credit to start a business, buy a house, or pay for the initial start up cost of forming a family. Their need for credit often goes unmet because individuals at the start of their adult life lack collateral, steady jobs, or reputation capital to qualify for obtaining credit. Left alone, credit markets in the Middle East fail in their most important mission which is to allow individuals to smooth their consumption by borrowing against future income.
The Opportunity
Of the various need for credit, housing stands out because of the role it plays in the transition to adulthood. The ability for the young to live independently is critical for their sense of fulfillment and participation in adult life. With an increase in investments and a growing GDP, the region is well positioned to explore reforms in housing and credit to ease financial and social pressures faced by young people.
The possible economic effects of Obama's Middle East speech
In anticipation of President Obama's 19 May speech on the Middle East, Tarik Yousef comments on the importance of economic investment and assistance in the region. This interview was originally published by NPR and is reposted here.
New Egypt Human Development Report Addresses The Role of Youth in Egypt's Future
The 2010 Egypt Human Development Report (EHDR) has been released and focuses specifically on the importance of youth in Egypt's economic, social and political development. The report, "Youth in Egypt: Building our Future", features a chapter by MEYI nonresident senior fellow Ragui Assaad on human development and labor markets, which investigates transitions into employment for Egyptian youth as well as the skills gap between education and employment and the occupational outlook facing young people today.
Experts Convene in Damascus to Review Policy Priorities for Middle East Youth
New Interactive Map: Taking Stock of the Youth Challenge in the Middle East
Dubai Initiative Conference at Harvard Features MEYI Scholars
First Policy Outlook Demonstrates Link Between Housing Policies and Marriage
In the first Policy Outlook by the Middle East Youth Initiative, Ragui Assaad and Mohamed Ramadan show how housing policy reforms in Egypt have made marriage more affordable for young people. This new research demonstrates how effective policies to grant young people access to key markets, such as housing, are critical in order to ensure successful transitions to adulthood.
Youth Exclusion in the West Bank and Gaza Strip: The Impact of Social, Economic and Political Forces
Edward Sayre and Samia Al-Botmeh examine three dimensions of the transition to adulthood by Palestinian youth: acquiring skills through schooling and training, finding employment, and forming a family.
Location: West Bank and Gaza
Type: Working Paper
Generation in Waiting: The Unfulfilled Promise of Young People in the Middle East
Generation in Waiting: The Unfulfilled Promise of Young People in the Middle East (Brookings Press, 2009), edited by Navtej Dhillon and Tarik Yousef, represents three years of research on youth exclusion in the Middle East.
Location: Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Middle East, Morocco, Syria, West Bank and Gaza, Yemen
Type: Book
Did Housing Policy Reforms Curb the Delay in Marriage Among Young Men in Egypt?
In this Middle East Youth Initiative Policy Outlook, Ragui Assaad and Mohamed Ramadan demonstrate that housing policy reforms in Egypt have made rental housing more affordable and accessible to young people and have also contributed to a declining age at marriage among young men.
Stalled Youth Transitions in the Middle East: A Framework for Policy Reform
Djavad Salehi-Isfahani and Navtej Dhillon present a framework for policymakers to improve youth outcomes by addressing institutional distortions across sectors: from the education system to the employment, housing, and credit markets.
Location: Middle East
Type: Working Paper
