Rent Reform-Issues for the Countries of Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States
Titel:
Rent Reform-Issues for the Countries of Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States
Auteur:
Hegedus, Jozsef Tosics, Ivan
Verschenen in:
Housing studies
Paginering:
Jaargang 13 (1998) nr. 5 pagina's 657-678
Jaar:
1998-09-01
Inhoud:
The transitional economies share common, serious problems in their public sector housing stocks, including poor condition and repair, and low rents which neither cover the maintenance and managementcosts, nor reflect the market exchange value of the houses. The paper begins by looking at the general background of rental policy and alternative approachesto rent reforms in the East-Central European transitional countries, and then goes on to consider the restructuring of the public rental sector, taking into account price structure changes and price increases in relation to income changes, and affordability. Current trends and problems in regulating rent policy at central and local levels are then considered, including factors influencing the restructuring of the public rental sector, the level of rents and utility prices, and rent reforms in relation to other institutional changes. The paper concludes that no wholly satisfactory reform model has been developed,mainly because each aspect of necessary reform conflicts with the short-term interest of some key actors. However,reform is argued to be essential, as the only plausible route to creating a functioning rental sector in these economies.
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