The OECD Economics Department has looked at both housing market trends and the role of housing policies.

Property taxes, zoning laws and social housing policies can influence labour mobility, unemployment, income and wealth distribution as well as saving patterns, financial markets and the cyclical characteristics of economies.

By having an impact on property prices, housing policies affect household wealth and spending, access to credit and overall economic activity.

Recent OECD work has assessed the risks of an overheating of housing markets in several countries. It has suggested policies to ensure that the supply of homes matches housing needs more effectively and that prices reflect fundamental values.

This work is published in the context of Economic Surveys and, in some cases, in the OECD Economic Outlook or in the Economics Department Working Papers series.