Over the long term the burden has risen, which is one reason why the rate of transactions has slumped. 从长期来看，这一负担增加了，这也是为什么交易量下降的原因之一。

Abolishing or replacing stamp duty would help more young families live in decent homes. 废除或取代印花税将帮助更多的年轻家庭住上体面的房屋。

Oldies could downsize at less cost, freeing up more of Britain's 25m or so empty bedrooms. 老年人可以以更低的成本缩减开支，腾出更多的英国2500万左右的空卧室。

And Westminster needs to do away with the perverse incentives arising from local-government taxation, in particular the out-of-date system of council tax, which is levied on housing. 威斯敏斯特需要从政府税收中去除不当诱因的增长，尤其是那些征收房屋税的过时的政府税收体系。

Councils miss out on much of the extra local tax revenue from new houses, because it is hoovered up and redistributed by central government. 由于房产税收收入被中央政府吸收和重新分配，地方议会失去了许多额外的地方房产税收收入。

But they are lumbered with the cost of providing local services for newcomers. 但他们却因为为新来者提供本地服务的成本而步履维艰。

That should change. 这应该改变。

Councils should be allowed to charge taxes that reflect the true values of properties—and keep the proceeds. 地方议会应被允许收取反映房产真实价值的税收，并保留收益。

Economically straightforward is not the same as politically easy. 经济上的易行并不等同于政治上的易行。

Even so, Theresa May, the prime minister, has so far failed to show any mettle over housing. 即便如此，英国首相特里莎梅梅迄今为止仍未能在住房问题上表现出任何勇气。

Her government has proposed nothing more than tweaks to a broken system. 她的政府除了对一个支离破碎的系统进行微调之外，什么也没有提出。

This lack of leadership feeds a crisis that is entirely unnecessary. 这种领导力的缺失助长了一场完全没有必要的危机。