Housing crisis in Greek: millions of empty houses and sky -high rental prices

Greece is drowning in a paradox: 2.2 million houses are empty, that is, every third housing of the country stands “without owners”, and the rental, meanwhile, grows as if “fell off the chain”.

Study of Athenian Economic University It showed: the problem is not in a shortage of square meters, but in their monstrous idle.

In some areas of Attica, the situation reaches the point of absurdity: more 500,000 houses Empty, this is 24% of the total fund. In the very center of Athens – already 28%. And if in calm suburbs like Vrilissia (9%) or Paraskevi Axia (10%) housing still lives, then Piraeus (22%), peristeri (19%) and Marusi (16%) confidently hold the level of “ghost cities”.

Even in new buildings, the numbers are catastrophic: 40% of houses built over the past 15 yearsnever waited for the residents. That is, we are building, but to populate – why?

Tourist Islands: Paradise for vacationers, hell for statistics

Contrary to the myth of “oversaturated tourism”, the resort islands are empty. Serifos is a champion with 81% of empty houses. Behind him Kea, Kitnos and Antiparos (77%), kimolos (72%). In other words: two of the three houses are idle for most of the year.

New buildings – ghosts

Of the 173,624 new houses built over the past 15 years, about 40% are empty. Even from very fresh, after 2016 – 27,754 still without residents. And this is with a record increase in rent.

Why so:

• Real estate is bought as an investment, not for living.
• Bureaucracy and hereditary litigation slow down the transactions.
• There are no incentives for repair and rent.
• Citizens simply cannot afford to rent what is worth it.

European club of empty apartments

Greece is not alone in this housing madness.

Spain After the 2008 crisis, she remained with 3 million empty houses. In Madrid and Barcelona – the same story: rent is higher than the clouds, and thousands of apartments are empty.

Italy – 7 million empty houses (a quarter of the entire fund). The southern villages are empty, houses are trying to sell for 1 euro with the repair obligation. The harsh sale of the Tuscan “dreams” does not bring much result.

France: In Paris, about 120,000 apartments without residents. The state has already introduced Void taxSo that the hosts stop playing the “monopoly” and putting up housing to the market.

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