Before a top meeting of the federal government and the housing industry in the Chancellery, the Construction-Agriculture-Environment industrial union reiterated its demand for a 50 billion euro economic stimulus program for housing construction. “Especially recently, economic stimulus programs have been launched quite successfully. It’s about time again,” said chairman Robert Feiger to “Bild am Sonntag”.
High interest rates and sharply increased costs had stalled the construction engine in recent months. Affordable housing is difficult to find in many places.
“Housing construction is threatened with disaster,” said Feiger. “The traffic light’s goal of building 400,000 apartments per year is missed year after year. The construction figures are getting lower and lower – even as the number of residents increases.”
The Association of Cities and Municipalities (DStGB) also called for a clear signal from the meeting. “Accelerating the planning and approval process for housing construction, limiting construction costs and further strengthening investments in housing construction,” is how managing director Gerd Landsberg outlined the necessary measures in the “BamS”. Tax relief is needed – both for new buildings and for existing renovations. “In addition, the federal government must increase funding for social housing promotion to at least five billion euros per year in the long term,” he told the paper.
