How are residences assigned in Star Trek?

Question

In Star Trek Into Darkness, specific episodes in Voyager and on other occasions, we see the homes of Starfleet officers, as well as hundreds of sky-scrapers and other large buildings. In these buildings, all different sizes and shapes, it is fair to assume that some residences would be more luxurious or desirable than others.

My question is: in Star Trek, we know that the federation no longer values money, and instead works to better themselves (as seen in TNG series 1, episode 25, 'The Neutral Zone') as seen in this quote from Picard:

PICARD: That's what this is all about. A lot has changed in the past three hundred years. People are no longer obsessed with the accumulation of things. We've eliminated hunger, want, the need for possessions. We have grown out of our infancy.

So how are living quarters assigned to people, if not bought, and why are some people assigned better quarters than others? Also, what happens when there is a conflict over who gets assigned better living quarters?

I sourced my quote from this link.

Thanks to anybody who answers!

Answer 1

Given Picard's comments and the general post-scarcity nature of Federation society, I'd expect the answer to be "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs." With the general lack of crippling disability in the Federation and the availability of transporters to drastically reduce commute times, quarters might well be assigned randomly.

Outside Starfleet I wouldn't expect any particular apartment to be more luxurious than any other. All would be spacious and comfortable enough. Post-scarcity society isn't about having as much as you want of anything you want anytime you want it. It's about the freedom to stop worrying about the quotidian business of scratching out a living and maintaining status. It's about the freedom to get on with the business of carving out a life, learning to be your truest best self. Federation citizens are beyond caring about the fact that someone has an apartment on a higher floor.

Inside Starfleet, there is competition for assignments and promotions, and perquisites like larger quarters come with rank. Starfleet is an atavistic organization in that way, but you would hardly expect a military organization to be any other way.