To be honest, I myself consider commie blocks to be one of the better parts of how USSR managed itself. Yes, they're usually a sore in the eye visually, but I lived in one and it's not that bad after modest renovation. But looks aren't the core of it - it was available social housing for vast masses of urban populace, with no landlords (except the state that was technically the landlord), and most importantly - no housing market speculations.

Yeah, it was a bit more complicated than how I put it, with famous Soviet queues, some preferential treatment of certain people who were more equal than others, but I'd take guaranteed somewhat shitty apartment after 10 years of work over never getting to own a house due to people being allowed to use housing as an investment rather than housing.