Regio: “Rely more on conversion” – IG BAU sees a deficit in social housing

Investments of around 243 million euros flowed into the new building last year. “Additional apartments are an important contribution against rising rents. The affordable segment is important. And what matters most is that more is done in social housing construction,” says Ilse Bruttel.

The district chairwoman of IG BAU Südbaden sees politics in particular as having a duty. Housing construction in the region can only show its strength if the right course is set in Berlin and Stuttgart. “The federal government has promised 400,000 new apartments per year. A quarter of these should be social housing. The traffic light coalition is still a long way from this goal. But state politics is also required here,” says Bruttel. According to statistics, only 293,400 new apartments were built nationwide last year – 4.2 percent fewer than in the previous year. In addition, scarce building materials, rising energy prices, inflation and rising interest rates are currently making new construction difficult, according to the union. In addition, there is a high demand for skilled workers and insufficient government funding.

IG BAU proposes a “special package for social housing” in order to “advance the lame construction of social housing”. The VAT on social housing should be reduced from 19 to seven percent. According to the union, the construction of a state-subsidized apartment would be ten percent cheaper. “In addition, the federal and state governments urgently need to simplify building regulations. It is high time that approval procedures became leaner and faster. Valuable time is often lost between the planning application and the start of construction,” emphasizes Bruttel.

The IG BAU district chairman points to an enormous opportunity to gain additional living space: the conversion of existing buildings. “In the district of Emmendingen there is great potential in the conversion of old buildings. In many residential buildings, office, commercial and multi-storey car parks, the roof levels can be increased. In addition, there is the conversion of offices into apartments – due to more home offices.” Especially with a view to the increasing demand for housing for people who have fled from the Ukraine before the war, all possibilities must be used.

Addressing the local construction industry, the trade unionist made it clear: “Many companies are urgently looking for skilled workers to be able to handle the orders. But qualified bricklayers and carpenters only win if they pay decent wages and offer good working conditions.” Construction workers should not undersell themselves and insist on collective wages. There is always enough to do, says Bruttel.

With reference to current figures from the Federal Statistical Office for Construction, Agriculture and the Environment (IG BAU), the following came about last year:
Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district: 930 new apartments
Emmendingen district: 680 new apartments
Urban district of Freiburg: 660 new apartments
Lörrach district: 920 new apartments
Ortenaukreis: 1,420 new apartments
Black Forest-Baar district: 900 new apartments
District of Waldshut: 650 new apartments

(Info: Industrial Union Construction-Agriculture-Environment)

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