The Reform of Housing in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union

The rapid political changes in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union have had repercussions for many elements of the socialist system. Housing provision, always an important part of the socialist agenda, has undergone extensive changes. These have solved some problems but given rise to others. The studies in The Reform of Housing in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union highlight the various aspects of housing reform, including such issues as rehabilitation, private initiatives, housing quality, welfare requirements and home ownership. While in some countries policy-makers have adhered to the older methods of housing provision, in others the number of massive state-run projects has declined in favour of smaller privately-funded enterprises. The latest changes reflect the socio-economic restructuring of the countries in general and thus housing can be seen as a spearhead for reforms throughout the system. The contributors are active researchers in the former Eastern Bloc who analyse the latest reforms and academics from Western Europe who supply a context of broader housing issues. They analyse the external factors that have influenced the reforms and assess the outlook for the future. Book Cover......Page 1 Half-Title......Page 2 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 List of Figures and Tables......Page 8 Preface......Page 12 1. Housing Reforms in Eastern Europe: An Introduction......Page 13 2. Albania: An Introduction......Page 17 3. Housing and Housing Policy in Albania......Page 22 4. Bulgaria: An Introduction......Page 31 5. Housing Reforms in Bulgaria: Myth or Reality?......Page 35 6. Czechoslovakia: An Introduction......Page 45 7. Housing in Czechoslovakia: Past and Present Problems......Page 49 8. Recent Changes in the Housing System and Policy in Czechoslovakia: An Institutional Approach......Page 62 9. Germany: And What Now, When the Twain Have Met?......Page 69 10. Housing in the Colours of the GDR......Page 71 11. Hungary: An Introduction......Page 126 12. Housing Reforms in Hungary......Page 131 13. Poland: An Introduction......Page 154 14. The Housing System in Poland: Changes and Direction......Page 159 15. The Housing Market in Warsaw According to the Mediators of the Estate Agencies......Page 177 16. Romania: An Introduction......Page 186 17. The Housing Sector in Romania: Appendix......Page 196 18. The Soviet Union: An Introduction......Page 202 19. Housing and Housing Policy in the USSR......Page 208 20. The Reform of the Soviet Housing Model: The Search for a Concept......Page 232 21. Yugoslavia: An Example Reconsidered......Page 243 22. Reformism in Yugoslavia: Introductory Remarks......Page 247 23. A Case Study of Conflicting Housing Pluralism in Yugoslavia: Informal (self-help) Activities in the Formal Housing System......Page 257 24. Conclusion: Past Tendencies and Recent Problems of the East European Housing Model......Page 265 Appendix: Housing Reforms in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union......Page 278 Index......Page 297

The rapid political changes in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union have had strong repercussions for many aspects of the socialist system. Housing provision, always an important part of the socialist agenda, has undergone extensive reforms in light of these recent changes. This has solved some problems, but has given rise to others. A centrally planned system of resource allocation led to low standards and uneven distribution of housing provision, and where countries have moved away from a command economy, they have faced a new set of issues as housing markets are transformed.

The Reform of Housing in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union highlights such issues as rehabilitation, private initiatives, housing quality, welfare requirements, and home ownership. While in some countries policy-makers have adhered to the older methods of housing provision, in others the number of massive state-run projects has declined in favor of smaller privately-funded enterprises. The latest changesreflect the socio-economic restructuring of the countries in general; thus, housing can be seen as a spearhead for reforms throughout the system.

The contributions in this book are from active researchers in the eastern bloc who analyze the latest reforms, and academics from Western Europe who apply broader housing issues. The contributions examine the external factors that have influenced the reforms and assess the outlook for the future.

This collection of studies, both eastern and western in perspective, outlines the most recent housing reforms in the former Eastern Bloc and relates them to the political and economic transformation of these countries First published in 1992. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company