Will Abortion Ban Trigger People To Move Out Of The US?

• Immediately after the supreme court ruling on June 24th, US residents searching for housing in Europe showed record-breaking YoY increase of close to 300%
• Top search destinations include Spain, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom and Portugal
• Traditional mobility barriers break down as people are increasingly choosing living locations based on their personal values and desired lifestyle

Rotterdam 30 June, 2022 — HousingAnywhere (housinganywhere.com) reports an abnormal increase of US residents searching for housing in Europe immediately after the US supreme court ruling of abortion ban. The company was already witnessing a steady YoY average increase of around 85% after the gradual lift of mobility restrictions caused by COVID. However, an average increase of over 200% in the past 5 days suggests the potential impact the ruling may have on the people living in the US. The abnormal surge kicked off on the very day of the 24th, almost immediately after the announcement, soon reaching close to a 300% increase on the 25th. Considering the time difference between the US and Europe, this suggests that people in the US were reacting ‘fast and furious’ to the news. This pattern is also evident in Google search trends, where an instant peak of US residents using the search term ‘move to Europe’ is witnessed during the same period.

The topic of flexible and borderless lifestyles was on the rise already before the pandemic. Millennials and Gen Zs started to value the freedom and experiential richness that mobility can provide over stability. Ironically, mobility restrictions that were imposed by the global pandemic only accelerated this trend, as what we have only imagined happening, actually happened overnight: living, working and learning anywhere. When restrictions gradually got lifted, the explosion of people wanting to move across the borders was somewhat expected, also fueled by typical compensatory psychology. The evidence is very visible on the HousingAnywhere platform as demand level continues to increase rapidly in Europe since Q3 of 2021, breaking the record every quarter as seen in the International Rent Index by City. The surge of US residents searching for housing in Europe due to the radical decision of the supreme court, confirms that this trend will only speed up to the level that mobility becomes the norm.

“It is all about the place where people want to live: the place they can identify themselves with, aspire to flourish and be inspired by. It’s driven by personal values and beliefs. Therefore, people’s choice will be heavily influenced by the potential impact of such political and socio-economic decisions that the federal or local government makes” says Djordy Seelmann, CEO of HousingAnywhere.

The top 5 European countries that showcase the biggest YoY increase in terms of US residents searching for their housing options are Spain, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom and Portugal. The top 5 cities are London, Berlin, Lisbon, Madrid and Barcelona. It is not too surprising to find the United Kingdom and London in the list as their fellow English-speaking destinations. However, the rise of other destinations indicates that traditional barriers of international mobility no longer impact people’s decision to be where they want to live. Seelmann:

When cities and countries compete to attract and retain talent, many of the traditional barriers are bound to break down. Coupled with different value systems and quality of life each location represents, we foresee that traditional barriers will no longer stop people from living anywhere.

About HousingAnywhere

HousingAnywhere is Europe's largest rental accommodation marketplace representing 20 million+ yearly unique visitors, 160,000+ properties available for rent and 96,000+ tenants finding their new homes in Europe, based on the 2021 performance. Internationally mobile talents, including young professionals and students looking to rent a home are matched with accommodation providers, ranging from private real estate owners to large-scale property managers. Through its advanced platform, tenants book for longer stays and typically rent accommodation for 3 to 12 months. The Rotterdam-based technology scale-up currently employs 200 people.

About HousingAnywhere International Rent Index

HousingAnywhere International Rent Index is a quarterly report published by HousingAnywhere based on the data of the price of the properties in major European cities listed on the platform during the respectable period. The 16th edition for Q2 2022 is expected to be published on July 7th, 2022.

Note for press

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