The housing market and housing policy for adolescents and young adults outside the parental home

Abstract

Many housing experts and politicians in Germany are quite content with the housing situation. When, for example, in September 1998, shortly before the federal elections, the opposition demanded a debate on the housing situation in Germany, government parties in Parliament rejected this call arguing that such a debate would be superfluous in the light of falling rents and outstandingly good housing provision for the overwhelming majority of population. Indeed some national figures indicate a certain relaxation of the housing market. On average, each inhabitant in Germany has 38 square meters of living space available, that is 70% more than 30 years ago. The rents for new contracts are between 2.3% and 4.2% lower than one year ago, according to the National Association of Brokers.