The Sofia Declaration on the Future of the Large Prefabricated Housing Estates in Central and Eastern Europe

Between October 19 and 21, 1997 more than 120 housing experts from 25 cities from 14 central and eastern European countries met in Sofia, Bulgaria at the invitation of the City of Sofia and the European Academy for the Urban Environment in Berlin (EA.UE) with housing specialists from 4 western European countries to discuss the future of the large industrially-produced housing estates in central and eastern Europe. 

The Problem and the Assets

In Central and Eastern Europe, more than 34 million people live in app. 600 housing estates of over 2.500 units, which were built during the state socialist period. Including the states of the former USSR, the large prefabricated estates are the homes of 170 million people, which were built between the 1960s and 1990. 

This enormous housing stock, the habitat of large proportions of the populations of eastern and central European countries, is severely endangered. 

• The physical decay of the buildings and the technical infrastructure is progressing rapidly due to maintenance deficits and a lack of legal and administrational provisions to undertake the necessary repairs.
• The social situation is often deteriorating as the estates become victims of the social and economical polarisation within the emerging housing markets.
• The inhabitants´ lack of financial means, the problems of involving the financial sector on a long term basis and inadequate management structures after privatisation hinder the attempts that are undertaken by cities, owner's and housing organisations to improve the living conditions on the estates.

However, these estates also have qualities and assets which could be utilised as the basis for their social, economic and environmental revitalisation. If it is not possible to improve their competitiveness on the housing market, many of today's estates may be doomed to becoming the European poorhouses of tomorrow. The consequences of such a trend will be a threat to the social stability of the cities and countries of central and eastern Europe, and eventually all of Europe. As the buildings are decaying rapidly, any loss of time will lead to higher costs, and eventually to a catastrophe in the housing systems of parts of central and eastern Europe. 

Ways towards solutions

The participants of the conference agreed that a co-ordinated effort should be undertaken to rescue the large prefabricated estates and to support their development. 

• There is a demand for intensified co-operation and networking in the development of workable solutions and in transferring successful „best practices" in a European context. This should include the western European countries´ experiences and should give all central and eastern European countries the opportunity jointly to develop strategies which are based on the local needs and local possibilities.
• There is a demand for the fast and efficient involvement of the financial sector, and for international support for a revolving fund to start up a process which refinances itself and encourages differentiated actions.
• Model projects with a relevance for the different central and eastern European countries should be implemented with the support of the European institutions, the states and the private housing sector.
• A precondition for the development of practical strategies would be increased research and networking about the technical and financial needs, and towards knowledge transfer of best practice in central and eastern European as well as western countries.

The representatives of the 25 cities want to stress the need for international attention for the problem and want to suggest a more active involvement of the European bodies in preventing the large prefabricated housing estates from becoming an incalculable burden for the future of European urban development. 

This declaration will be submitted to European bodies concerned with housing development with the request for assistance. 

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