Minister Hubertz Kicks Off Affordable Housing Mission: No Firm Targets But Promises
No construction plans for Hubertz's residence.
Welcome to the new era of German housing construction under the guidance of Minister Verena Hubertz, a successful entrepreneur turned politician. With the Federal Ministry of Housing under her belt and a coalition agreement devoid of specific apartment targets, she's eager to make her mark.
In an interview with Markus Lanz, she was all smiles and optimism, barely flinching at his probing questions. A stark contrast to her predecessor who failed to build 400,000 apartments, as set out in her tenure.
While Minister Hubertz is vague about the exact number of new apartments she aims to construct, she's forthright in vowing to cut bureaucracy by 25% and glass ceilings when it comes to rents. She's confident that affordable housing with rates as low as €15/m² can be made a reality. With a team of 500 in her ministry and around 2500 officials including subordinate authorities, she's well-equipped to deliver.
Standardizing, Scaling, and Simplifying
A major challenge lies in the complex web of conflicting regional building codes. With over 4000 norms across the nation, it's a bureaucratic nightmare. Minister Hubertz is addressing this issue by advocating for harmonized, streamlined standards. She's in dialogue with the federal states and pushing for adopting best practices, like the Hamburg Standard, that have already shown success[1].
The Cost Factor
Matthias Günther, an economist familiar with the German real estate market, weighs in on the issue. He points out that many construction costs have risen to as much as €5000/m²[2]. However, he's optimistic that costs can be reduced by adhering to building standards and by rethinking construction norms. By ditching unnecessary regulations, costs could be slashed by 25-30%, he says.
The Stimulus Package conundrum
Financing the construction sector is another hurdle. While the state holds the reins when it comes to construction, a federal budget stimulus package could be the key to unlocking rapid progress. However, whether such a package will materialize remains uncertain, even for Minister Hubertz herself[3].
Key Tactics from Minister Hubertz:
- Reducing bureaucracy to speed up approval processes.
- Encouraging modern construction techniques to boost efficiency and lower costs.
- Expanding land availability for residential development.
- Extending rent control measures in major cities by four more years.
- Collaboration across government levels to align policies effectively.
As Minister Hubertz steps into the housing construction scene, it's a waiting game to see if she'll hit the mark or fall short, just like her predecessors. One thing's for sure; she's carrying the weight of German housing on her shoulders.
In light of the upcoming housing mission, Minister Hubertz has emphasized her plans to reduce bureaucracy by 25%, acknowledging its role in slowing down approval processes, which is a crucial aspect of her employment policy. Furthermore, politics and community policy intertwine as she collaborates with federal states to standardize, scale, and simplify a fragmented network of regional building codes, aiming to facilitate economic growth in the general-news sector by adopting best practices that lower costs.
