This is a pretty interesting list and I'm curious about some of the reasons for the differences.<p>How was housing handled in the former USSR states? Were people residing in houses given an opportunity to purchase? Or just given title?<p>I know in Singapore, most of the housing is developed by the gov't (HDB) with assistance provided for home ownership. Outside of that system, housing is ridiculously expensive. New 1 bedrooms go for over $1M SGD, which is pricier than San Francisco.<p>The one oddity with Singapore housing is most of it is built on land owned by the gov't and a 99-year lease. Since Singapore only became it's own country in 1963, some of those 99-year leases are getting to the point of having less than owner's lifetime left. From what I've read, the gov't either allows the owner to purchase additional lease duration or the property is acquired by a developer looking to remove the old building and build a new one, with a new 99-year lease.