Over the past decade, rental costs and home purchase prices have risen rapidly, leading to increasing social discontent and political pressure. Housing policy has nevertheless been a rather neglected topic for many years. Housing supply and housing policy are extremely complex matters, since on the one hand they have to be organized through federal cooperation across three administrative levels, while on the other hand each city has a slightly different market, supply and price situation. This complex state of affairs means there is a need for fresh perspectives and options for a housing policy that will actually be worthy of the name. In this volume, researchers examine the current housing supply from different perspectives and suggest possible improvements, along with the tools needed to achieve them.

Prof. Guido Spars teaches the economics of planning and construction at the University of Wuppertal.