Sweden debates tax and construction reforms to ease housing shortage

Monica Björk, chief executive of Byggmaterialhandlarna, argues that high capital‑gains and stamp‑duty taxes suppress mobility in Sweden's housing market. She proposes cutting the capital‑gains tax to 10 % for properties owned at least three years and revisiting stamp taxes to lower the cost of new homes, highlighting that tax revenue from these levies amounted to about SEK 42 billion in 2025.

An editorial from Jönköping points to a slowdown in residential construction despite a need for roughly 500 new units annually. Only about 300 homes were built in 2025, attributed to high interest rates, inflation and weaker population growth. The piece urges municipalities to grant incentives such as higher‑density zoning, elimination of mandatory basements, reduced down‑payment requirements (from 15 % to 10 %) and lower amortisation rules to spur building and alleviate the housing backlog.

Both articles call for policy changes to increase housing supply and improve mobility for younger families and older households across the country.