Living above supermarkets: A key to the housing shortage in Havelland!

Living above supermarkets: A key to the housing shortage in Havelland!

You can say that this is a creative solution that comes from Berlin! Federal Construction Minister Verena Hubertz (SPD) has put forward a proposal that is intended to address the housing shortage in Germany: building over supermarkets with living space. The goal? Create more affordable living space and at the same time make better use of the available space. The federal government is planning faster approval procedures and the cancellation of some development plans in order to speed up this process. These new regulations are intended not only to benefit citizens and the construction industry, but also to relieve the burden on local authorities. However, it remains a decision for the municipalities whether they want to use these offers to promote housing construction. According to maz-online.de, Hubertz is particularly focused on densifying existing developments.

However, the idea is not only finding open ears. Alexander Vujanov, market manager of an Edeka store in Falkensee, is skeptical about the development. The building authority's height specifications often make it difficult to find creative solutions. Edeka Minden-Hannover also emphasizes that not every supermarket is suitable for such an increase, as the structural substance is crucial. In several commercial areas where supermarkets are located, the suitability for housing may be additionally restricted.

A pressing problem: lack of housing

The situation is similar everywhere. There is an acute shortage of housing, which is further fueled by high immigration numbers and rising property prices. According to a study, there is currently a shortage of around 550,000 apartments in Germany. According to federal government policy, around 52 percent of Germans lived in rent in 2023. In large cities like Cologne, rents are particularly high: tenants pay an average of 13.44 euros per square meter. And the trend remains upward, which makes the discussion about affordable housing all the more urgent.

The Corona crisis has not helped drive Cologne residents and other city dwellers to rural regions. The attractiveness of large cities remains unbroken, which exacerbates the shortage of space. The question remains: How can we counteract the housing shortage? Not only supermarkets, but also other existing infrastructures could be rethought. [Süddeutsche.de]. However, the statics of existing buildings are often a problem that makes subsequent construction of living space difficult or even requires demolition.

The challenges of densification

Even if the legal framework is in place, implementation remains a challenge. Sound insulation aspects, for example due to delivery noise, should not be neglected either. Many building applications must therefore contain sound insulation reports. Tenants and owner size of the space available for such projects play an important role, as both Süddeutsche.de and maz-online.de emphasize. A lack of development plans can significantly limit densification. This requires sensitivity, both on the part of real estate investors and retailers, who increasingly have to think vertically and integrate mixed forms in new projects.

The lack of living space will remain a major issue in Germany in the coming years. It is estimated that there will be a need for 372,000 new apartments annually by 2025, but in 2023 only 294,400 new living spaces were created. The deficit is obvious and the implementation of innovative solutions is urgently needed. It remains to be hoped that initiatives like Hubertz's and the new regulations in the building code will pave the way for faster and more efficient construction processes.