"Overly Protective Behavior"
The Mayor's housing policy remains on the defensive, with vague promises and absent concrete steps, says Harald Schwenk, Green Party housing rep in the city council, regarding the city's proposed housing construction plans. The proposed target of 8,000 apartments on municipal land appears to have vanished, according to Schwenk. He scrutinizes the progress, criticizing that the only significant movement is on the Tetelberg site in Bilk, a project that completed an urban planning competition back in 2019. There are also unfulfilled resolutions for the Hasseler Richtweg and Zaunkoenigweg, and for the Glasmacherviertel. Schwenk demands a quicker pace for the new proposals, adding, "we want more teeth, not just talk."
Meanwhile, Angelika Penack-Bielor, CDU's housing rep, maintains a positive outlook, believing that the goal of adding an extra 8,000 apartments by 2030, half of them on municipal land, is being pursued aggressively. She dismisses Keller's criticisms as misguided, emphasizing the need for constructive political participation, especially in the face of the current construction and real estate industry challenges.
The council's upcoming December resolutions propose effective measures intended to speed up projects such as activating and developing building land, housing, and climate protection. Düsseldorf's building land model provides a guideline for the city and its partners IDR, IPM, and the municipal housing company. The cooperative process for the municipal site on the Tetelberg has already started for the first quarter of 2024. Moreover, municipal building land is being activated at ten other locations. High pressure is also being applied to the potential land register as a strategic element. According to Penack-Bielor, "thanks to our municipal subsidiaries in key roles, the housing construction commission, and our dialogue with NRW, we've been on the fast track for a while."
Germany's housing market is grappling with an oversized demand for housing units relative to available supply. The country experienced a 14.42% drop in completed residential units in 2024 compared to the previous year, and the number of approved dwellings declined by 16.98%[1]. Major cities, including Düsseldorf, require a combined total of 15,000 annual units[1]. The new German government intends to resolve the housing shortage with an investment and tax relief package, aiming to simplify funding programs and offer incentives for eco-friendly and cost-efficient construction[2]. Although these initiatives are national, they could potentially impact local housing strategies in cities like Düsseldorf. Local developments in Düsseldorf, such as built-to-rent projects, are ongoing but specific details about the city's housing construction plans and political debates are limited in the available search results[4]. For more insights on Mayor Keller's plans and the Green Party's stance, local news sources or official announcements from Düsseldorf's government should be consulted.
The ongoing political debate regarding Düsseldorf's housing policy and construction plans is centered around the city council, with Harald Schwenk of the Green Party criticizing the lack of concrete steps and demanding a quicker pace for new proposals. On the other hand, Angelika Penack-Bielor of the CDU maintains a positive outlook, emphasizing active measures proposed by the council to speed up housing and climate protection projects. Moreover, the German housing market faces an oversupply issue, with the new government planning to address the housing shortage through investment and tax relief packages, potentially impacting local housing strategies in cities like Düsseldorf.
