Fed Min Hubertz on Lanz: I Feel the Weight, Sayin' Let's Get it Poppin' in Housing
Hubertz admits to feeling a sense of accountability
Germany's new government's got housing on its mind, with the fresh-faced Verena Hubertz – fresh from her success with "Kitchen Stories" – now in charge. She's vowin' to create affordable social housing and simplify the housing market. Catch her spillin' her goals and grapplin' with the challenges on ZDF's Markus Lanz show on Wednesdays.
The previous administration didn't catch much luck in the housing department. They set high goals they barely grazed. Now, with the SPD back in the Ministry of Housing, there's hope for a new start. And Hubertz ain't gonna retire at 37 – she's out to crack the nut that her predecessors couldn't: buildin' new social housing. It's desperately needed. Germany has a paltry one million social housing units, compared to four times that number back in the late '80s. Hubertz'll reveal her master plan on Markus Lanz.
Economics: Gearing Up, Bracing for Impact or Snooze Button?
So how many new apartments Hubertz gonna build? Another 400,000 like her predecessor who fell short? "If I were a CEO, I wouldn't etch a number in stone," Hubertz tells us. "We need to look at demographics and migration. We're gonna build as much and as fast as we can, and we'll measure our success by speed, tech, and tolerance."
Let's Cut the Red Tape, Y'all
Hubertz sounds believable when it comes to speed. She's got youth, energy, and a can-do attitude. She's unfazed by Lanz's tricky questions. Maybe that's because Hubertz's stepped into a ministry ready for action. When the traffic light government started, there was no Ministry of Housing, Urban Development, and Building. The previous Minister Clara Geywitz had to gather her resources and build her department from scratch. There weren't even computers when she was appointed in 2021. Geywitz began with enthusiasm but encountered reality.
Economics: Black-Red Plans, Pressure Buildin' Up?
Hubertz knows she's under the gun. Despite the coalition agreement not setting a goal for the number of apartments to be built, she says, "Setting a goal doesn't help. Instead, we should ask what we can add to really move forward."
Affordable Housing, Nah Mean?
Hubertz's put her money where her mouth is. She's pledged to reduce bureaucracy by 25%. She's pushin' for affordable housing in new buildings, settin' her sights on monthly rents of less than 15 euros per square meter. To get there, she's slashed her ministry's staff by 500, cuttin' out around 2500 subordinate authorities.
Politics: Extension, Maybe, Expansion, Nope
Hubertz's taken a softer stance on rent control.
Cheaper Building: Possible, But Is It Probable?
"Rents under 15 euros per square meter in new buildings will be tough to achieve," says economist Matthias Günther. He's familiar with Germany's real estate market, leadin' the Pestel Institute in Hannover. Last year, the institute published a study concludin' that funding for social housing has been insufficient for decades. Günther points out: Low rents ain't a walk in the park in cities like Hamburg, Cologne, or Munich. "It won't be possible in privately financed housing," he says on Lanz. "Plots are too pricey. It could work in smaller cities or rural areas if you follow their guidelines." For example, prescribed standards in housing are often exceeded, Günther notes. "By adhering to the standards, we can already reduce costs by 25 to 30%."
Economics: Is It Rainin' Money, Though?
According to Günther, construction costs have ballooned to 5,000 euros per square meter. In Schleswig-Holstein, costs have stayed at 2,500 euros per square meter – by simply adhering to the standards. "Construction costs have increased because we let luxury and fancy things slip into our housing – even when they weren't necessary. We need to strip down construction to the basics – to build inexpensively and unbureaucratically," Günther explains.
Nationwide Norms, Minus the Camouflage
Construction's a national affair, with each federal state having its own building codes. Anyone lookin' to build a house faces 4,000 norms all over Germany. These regulations sometimes contradict each other, with the color of stones for the driveway sometimes prescribed. "That's a load of baloney," says Günther.
Stimulus Package: Can't Stop, Won't Stop
Construction's still a tough sell without federal budget funds. "The real question is: How much money does the Ministry of Finance make available to promote more in the construction sector? All structural things you want to tackle now are in order. They will only have long-term effects. To bring construction back to the fore in the short term, we need a housing construction stimulus package," says Günther.
Whether they're gonna throw a stimulus package at the problem is still undecided, even for the minister. But she knows one thing for sure: "I feel the responsibility."
Hubertz aims to streamline both the community policy and employment policy within her ministry, prioritizing efficiency and speed to tackle the housing crisis. In her vision for a more affordable Germany, Hubertz aspires to include sports facilities as part of new social housing projects, encouraging active lifestyles and community integration.
