Introduction

Abstract

The German Democratic Republic was also an industrial economy, generally considered to be the most successful of the socialist East European states. All the ‘Western’ countries have housing systems which are largely market-orientated, but with substantial degrees of state intervention. Economic growth, inflation and unemployment can all affect the housing market and the housing conditions of the less well-off. In Europe, West Germany had a slight lead over the other countries, but they were grouped fairly closely together. Unemployment rose sharply in the European countries in the 1980s, compared with the previous decade. The West European countries have a good deal in common in their housing policies and tenure patterns, although the United Kingdom (UK) stands apart in some respects. Tenure patterns still show substantial national differences, despite some convergence. The differences between countries in the size of the private rented and the social rented sectors are even greater.