The Federal Minister for Building and Housing calls for more money for social housing.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin The Federal Government intends to determine in a timely manner how the building subsidy by the Reconstruction Loan Corporation (KfW) will continue. The concept for a temporary new building subsidy program for the so-called Efficiency House 40, capped at one billion euros, should be in place by March, said Economics and Climate Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) at the Housing Day in Berlin.
A new program, “climate-friendly construction”, is to start by January 1, 2023 at the latest. Habeck announced “intensive talks” with the construction industry from May at the latest.
The abrupt end of funding for both the Efficiency House 40 and the Efficiency House 55, which was a little less demanding in terms of energy, was met with massive criticism from the construction industry. In the meantime, the applications submitted up to the funding stop on January 24 are being processed again.
The federal government is facing major challenges in construction and housing policy – this became clear at the housing construction day, which is organized every year by seven associations such as the Federal Association of German Housing and Real Estate Companies (GdW), the Tenants’ Association, the BAU trade union and the Central Association of the Construction Industry (ZDB).
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Federal Building Minister Klara Geywitz (SPD) admitted that the two billion euros previously promised by the federal government for social housing will not be enough. “If we want to build 100,000 social housing units a year, we will need significantly more,” said Geywitz.
>> Read here: Wirtschaftsinstitut: The traffic light coalition’s housing target is set too high
“In order not to burden my negotiations with the finance minister, I will first talk to him about the amount that I will need,” said Geywitz, referring to her talks with Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) and the construction industry’s urging for long-term perspectives.
Minister of Construction Geywitz wants to strengthen social housing
Geywitz pointed out that the federal funds for social housing for 2022 amounting to one billion euros had already been launched as the “first official act”. The federal government is making a further billion euros available to the federal states for new climate-friendly social housing in order to achieve “more speed in new construction”.
The minister promised to ensure “good, affordable, but also climate-friendly living in an environment worth living in”. However, the federal government alone cannot guarantee the total of 400,000 new apartments per year guaranteed in the coalition agreement.
Therefore, from the spring, a working alliance for affordable housing from the construction industry, housing companies, states, municipalities, private landlords, tenants’ associations, trade unions, environmental organizations and planners should initiate an “investment and innovation offensive” with the ministry.
When it comes to housing construction in the capital, Berlin’s governing mayor Franziska Giffey (SPD) wants to rely on “cooperation instead of confrontation” – contrary to what a Berlin referendum on the expropriation of large housing groups suggests. Giffey assured investors “simplified and accelerated procedures” and the removal of “barriers”. If building permits were granted, Giffey demanded that the building industry should be built.
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