Overcrowding and ‘Underoccupancy’ in Romania: A Case Study of Housing Inequality

Adriana Mihaela Soaita
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Adriana Mihaela Soaita: Centre for Housing Research, The Observatory, Buchanan Gardens, University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 9LZ, Scotland

Environment and Planning A, 2014, vol. 46, issue 1, 203-221

Abstract: This paper examines aspects of space consumption in two very different housing types: The communist mid-rise estates and postcommunist suburban self-built housing. Examining residents' perceptions in order to categorise space as overcrowded or underoccupied, the paper engages critically with the issue of the inefficient distribution of Romanian housing: that is, a considerable mismatch between dwelling and household size. The analysis documents the continued salience of overcrowding in the communist estates and, conversely, self-builders' satisfaction with the generous size of their new homes. Market forces permit various modes of residential mobility, but their likely outcome is growing housing inequality while any redistributive impact will remain insignificant unless policy incentives could facilitate conversion of underoccupied space into (social) renting housing. However, only a sustained delivery of larger and affordable new dwellings could alleviate overcrowding.

Keywords: Overcrowding; housing inequality; space consumption; Eastern Europe; Romania (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:envira:v:46:y:2014:i:1:p:203-221

DOI: 10.1068/a45718

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