Cooperatives oppose green housing plans

Well intentioned but badly done - this is roughly the reaction of the Association of North German Housing Companies (VNW) to a decision by the Greens state party conference in Hamburg on Saturday to readjust social housing. “Generally, to prescribe in development plans that half of new residential buildings must be publicly funded will lead to a further sharp increase in rents in privately financed residential construction,” says VNW director Andreas Breitner.

As a result, households with a normal income that are not entitled to a housing entitlement certificate would no longer be able to afford these apartments. "They are being pushed out of these residential areas," says Breitner. Matthias Sass, chairman of the association of Hamburg housing cooperatives, is even clearer: "What the Greens are proposing would mean the end of the construction of affordable apartments in Hamburg and would dramatically worsen the situation on the Hamburg housing market," he said - combined with the hope that the SPD, as the larger coalition partner, will stop these plans.

The state party conference of the Greens had decided on Saturday the main motion "Your city, your neighborhood - Hamburg worth living in for everyone". According to this, among other things, the currently valid one-third mix, according to which one third of subsidized apartments must be created for larger construction projects, is to be abandoned. In the future, at least 50 percent of social housing will be built in construction projects on public land. In addition, the highest climate protection requirements – at least Efficiency House 40 – should be placed on new buildings.

For Breitner, setting higher social housing quotas is a "green dream" that ultimately means that even social landlords have to refrain from such projects because they are ultimately uneconomical and would lead to red figures.