Around six percent of households in major German cities have to make do with too little living space. This is according to the short report "Mismatch in the housing market" by the Cologne Institute for Economic Research (iw Köln). Families and households with a migration background are particularly affected. On the other hand, six percent of households in large cities live in apartments that are actually too big for them.
According to the iw Cologne, a couple with one child living in a two-room apartment is considered to have too little living space. A single person with a four-room apartment, for example, has more living space than necessary. The authors of the short report also see a potential for exchange on the housing market.
The reason for this is that nine percent of over 70-year-olds live in very spacious homes. The authors of the study attribute this to the fact that older people often keep their homes even after their children have moved out or their partner has died. In some cases, they would then theoretically no longer need the large apartments. The full short report can be read free of charge at iwkoeln.de.
Source and further information: iwkoeln.de
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