Regarding the rate of home ownership among Berliners. I remember reading that Germans in general are more likely to to rent than own their housing. Is that not true?
>"It is very ironic that companies such as Deutsche Wohnen were able to grab so many apartments when Berlin wall fell with dirt cheap prices. You can argue rushed privatisation caused this problem and something needs to be done if Berlin wants to avoid becoming SF."
Interesting. Is Deutsche Wohnen origins the old East Berlin then?
> Interesting. Is Deutsche Wohnen origins the old East Berlin then?
Not really, no. It was founded in 1998 and initially had no Berlin holdings at all. It then bought various entities with housing stock in Berlin, which also have complex histories - e.g. one example was founded as a city-owned company in the 1920s, lost its East German properties obviously but continued to operate in West Berlin, after reunification got the eastern bits back, and then was privatized in the 90s. But of course East German state ownership plays a role in how the situation overall came together.
>I remember reading that Germans in general are more likely to to rent than own their housing. Is that not true?
The majority rent not because of a lifestyle choice but because they can't afford to buy anything so renting is their only choice. What else are they gonna do, be homeless? All mid-upper class German families I met owned their properties.
>"It is very ironic that companies such as Deutsche Wohnen were able to grab so many apartments when Berlin wall fell with dirt cheap prices. You can argue rushed privatisation caused this problem and something needs to be done if Berlin wants to avoid becoming SF."
Interesting. Is Deutsche Wohnen origins the old East Berlin then?