Bernim's housing construction boom: Turbo offensive for affordable living space!

Bernim's housing construction boom: Turbo offensive for affordable living space!

Here at Barnim it's clearly about more than just brick and mortar. The new federal government has announced a “housing construction turbo” that will also be felt here in the region. The chairwoman of IG BAU Oderland, Astrid Gehrke, is calling for a “housing boom” for Barnim and Brandenburg in order to meet the urgent need for social housing and affordable housing. In fact: the Barnim district recorded the construction of 792 new apartments last year, of which 482 were built as single- and two-family houses. The construction costs amounted to a whopping 163.8 million euros bernau-live.de reported.

But that's just the beginning! Gehrke emphasizes the need for a new building offensive, especially to create housing suitable for seniors. A proposal to reduce construction costs envisages achieving savings of up to a third through simpler and cheaper construction. The demand for de-bureaucratization in the construction industry is becoming louder igbau.de also loud in order to increase the number of new buildings in the coming years.

Economic pressure is increasing

Rising construction costs stand in the way of creating new living space. Over the last 25 years, construction costs have increased over 2.5 times, with a significant price increase of 32% in the last five years alone. Nationwide, there is a shortage of over 550,000 apartments, while 9.6 million people live in overcrowded accommodation. An increase of 1.1 million overcrowded apartments in the last five years highlights the time pressure the industry is under.

Robert Feiger from IG BAU emphasizes the need for financial resources for social housing and advocates for comprehensive regulatory standards. According to a recent study, there is a lack of reliable funds for housing construction. To counteract this, at least 11 billion euros in funding would be required annually to build 100,000 social housing units. To create 60,000 affordable apartments per year, you need at least 4 billion euros annually.

An integrated approach to sustainable housing

Gehrke also suggests introducing a “good & cheap” label for housing construction to ensure quality while keeping costs under control. A focus on “building type E” could be helpful here by promoting simple, easier and efficient construction. This would not only improve construction costs, but also ecological standards, although there are warnings against excessive noise and climate protection requirements.

In conclusion, it is clear that the housing shortage in Barnim and beyond represents a serious challenge. Politicians, associations and the construction industry must work hand in hand to set the course for sustainable and affordable housing creation. This is the only way the “housing construction turbo” can really gain momentum and everyone in Barnim can benefit.