The expression generation rent first appeared in May 2011, in the context of a report giving details of a survey commissioned by the Halifax Building Society. The survey, undertaken by the UK’s National Centre for Social Research, included responses from 8000 20-45-year-olds, over three quarters of whom still aspired to owning their own home. Nearly two-thirds however, felt that they had no prospect whatsoever of buying a home, with only 5% saving up for a deposit, and nearly 50% saying that they felt Britain was now following Europe in the trend of considering renting to be the norm.