New publication: Repartnering is key to regaining homeownership after separation

A new open-access study by Sergi Vidal and co-authors in Population, Space and Place shows that separation sharply reduces the likelihood of owning a home—and that regaining ownership is mostly tied to repartnering. Using 1991–2019 panel data from England & Wales (BHPS/Understanding Society) and Germany (SOEP) and multilevel logistic models, the authors find that homeownership rates rise with time since separation primarily because many people form new unions; those who remain single—especially with lower socioeconomic status—rarely return to ownership. The study concludes that separation has long-term effects on housing careers and can widen housing inequalities, particularly in contexts like England & Wales where homeownership is the dominant tenure.

Citation: Mikolai, J., Kulu, H., Thomas, M. J., & Vidal, S. (2025). Time since separation, repartnering, and homeownership in England and Wales, and Germany. Population, Space and Place, 31(6), e70073.