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East Germany Housing
The quality and quantity of housing have been serious
problems for many years. Most housing was owned by the state, and
rents were controlled. In the mid-1980s, new apartments rented
for about one GDR mark (for value of the
GDR mark--see Glossary)
per square meter; older units rented for even less. East Germany,
however, has suffered from a shortage of housing. Construction
was accorded low priority in the 1950s and early 1960s; hence
older housing was allowed to fall into disrepair, and few
attempts were made to modernize apartments. Even as late as the
early 1970s, close to 80 percent of dwelling units were of prewar
vintage. More than half had no indoor plumbing.
During the 1960s, authorities began to recognize the need for
housing construction, but little attention was given to design or
comfort; the government was primarily interested in cutting
construction time and costs. Housing was given top priority at
the eighth and ninth party congresses, and since the early 1970s
the construction of new housing and the renovation of older
dwellings have formed the main thrust of East Germany's social
policy. The shift in emphasis is apparent in the number of new
dwellings constructed annually. In 1950 only 31,000 new units
were built; in 1960 the number had risen to 80,000. Since 1971,
however, over 100,000 new or improved units have been constructed
each year. From 1980 to 1984, close to 946,000 new homes were
constructed, and over 333,000 units were modernized. The 1986-90
Five-Year Plan called for construction and modernization of
1,064,000 units and committed the country to solving the housing
problem by 1990.
Beginning in the 1970s, an attempt was also made to build
more attractive and spacious housing. Prefabricated dwellings,
popularized in the 1960s because of low cost and quick
construction time, still formed the majority of new housing, but
more attention was given to design and aesthetic qualities. All
dwellings built after 1970 had indoor baths and showers, and most
had hot water and central heating.
Despite the housing boom of the preceding decade, many
problems remained as of the mid-1980s. The persistence of a
housing shortage meant that allocation of housing created a
measure of discontent. Housing, particularly in the large urban
areas, was difficult to obtain, and young couples looking for
their first home were often forced to wait two or three years
before a unit became available. Housing was assigned on the local
level by housing commissions. Priority was generally accorded
first to families with children, then to married couples, and
finally to single persons. Because of the housing problems,
moving from one city to another could be a frustrating
experience. Available housing was advertised in newspapers and
listed with local authorities. A family then attempted to match
its requirements with those of a family in another city and
exchange units. Housing, however, has been used to entice workers
into certain jobs or sectors of the economy and to reward loyal
service to the state; therefore, highly skilled workers and
members of the technical intelligentsia and political elite have
been given preference in assignments and receive the choicest
housing.
Data as of July 1987
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