Not prepared for the future
Geywitz: The topic of age-appropriate conversion is still in its infancy
April 20, 2024, 2:07 a.m
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Housing construction is still making slow progress. In addition to the lack of housing in large cities, the construction minister is also concerned about demographic change. Germany is not yet prepared for the aging society. She is hoping for more money for the age-appropriate renovation.
Federal Construction Minister Klara Geywitz sees housing construction in Germany as “not at all” prepared for demographic change. “The topics of accessibility and age-appropriate conversions are still in their infancy,” said Geywitz to the Editorial Network Germany (RND). “We have now doubled the funds for the age-appropriate renovation, which is a great success given the tight budget,” said the SPD politician. “But the 150 million a year is still too little given the demographic development. We have to invest billions in the next few years.” In 20 years, society will probably not only be older, but many people will also live alone.
Geywitz called the extension of the rent cap decided by the Federal Cabinet as a “first step” in the traffic light coalition’s housing policy. “We now need a quick legislative process, because in some countries the rent control will expire next year. The countries also need time to adapt their state regulations accordingly.”
“No more than rental political cosmetics”
However, the other tenancy law measures agreed in the coalition agreement would also have to be implemented. This includes that in tense markets the so-called capping limit – by which a rent can increase at most – is reduced to eleven percent in three years. Rent indexes should also be taken more into account.
However, tenancy law falls under the responsibility of Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann, who has so far been unwilling to do so. The chairwoman of the new BSW party, Sahra Wagenknecht, criticized the traffic light government for its housing policy. “Housing costs are exploding under the traffic lights. Policy failures have caused the housing market to get completely out of control in recent years,” she told the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” (NOZ). The rent brake has proven to be a “nonsense”; it is “no longer a rental political cosmetic,” said Wagenknecht. She called for more non-profit housing construction and a rent cap without loopholes.