November 19, 2024 Press releases
- Housing Industry Day today in Berlin with keynote speeches by Federal Construction Minister Klara Geywitz and Prof. Dr. Moritz Schularick, President of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy
- socially oriented housing industry lays its Positions on the federal election 2025 – and celebrates the 100th anniversary of the leading association GdW
- Livestream and program here: www.tagderwohnungswirtschaft.berlin
Berlin – When it comes to housing, the most important social issue of our time, there is an increasingly urgent need for action: building permits are falling ever deeper into the abyss, housing construction conditions remain poor and socially oriented housing companies and their tenants are faced with unaffordable costs when it comes to achieving climate goals. There is currently no improvement in sight with regard to the ability to finance the huge tasks. At the Housing Industry Day in Berlin today, the umbrella association GdW is presenting its solutions in the form of positions on the 2025 federal election and discussing these with Federal Construction Minister Klara Geywitz, Prof. Dr. Moritz Schularick, President of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, and other high-profile guests.
“We are the ones who want to create and maintain affordable housing in Germany. And this despite all the adversities of interest rate changes, funding fiascos and construction cost increases of over 45 percent in just four years. But if more and more regulatory plans are spreading from the political side and there is no tangible support for the socially oriented housing industry, then only one thing remains to be said: things simply cannot continue like this,” says Axel Gedaschko, President of the umbrella association of the housing industry GdW.
“Instead of a political denial of reality, we must finally see and acknowledge that every euro can only be spent once! Wishful dreams of tripling the renovation rate, which is languishing at 0.7 percent, and then increasing investments in new buildings are completely utopian. “What we need from the new government in order to continue to secure affordable housing: a real boost for new construction, a change of direction in climate protection and finally reasonable financing conditions,” says the GdW President. Proposals for rent freezes or moratoriums are the opposite of a socially just housing policy. Such plans would completely stifle investments and would therefore be poison for the future of affordable construction, renovation and living.
In its position paper on the federal election, the GdW calls for affordable new buildings of up to 12 euros per square meter and social housing to be given absolute priority – as is the expansion of renewable energies and broadband networks. The climate goals in the housing stock must be implemented affordably – this requires a paradigm shift towards a focus on CO2 reduction instead of one-sided excessive individual building efficiency. Politicians urgently need to improve the financing conditions and make the requirements of the EU taxonomy and those of the European Buildings Directive (EPBD) compatible with each other.
“Our companies with very cheap rents of often less than 6 euros and sometimes even less than 5 euros per square meter need to be supported sustainably instead of being continually regulated. We need a realistic and socially just climate and construction policy. Only then can the socially oriented housing companies guarantee their mission and calling, in which we as GdW have been supporting them for 100 years now, for future generations: to provide socially fair housing and thus ensure social cohesion in Germany,” says Gedaschko.
The positions of the housing industry on the federal election
The speech manuscript by GdW President Axel Gedaschko for Housing Industry Day (note embargo period: November 19, 2024, 3:30 p.m. – spoken word applies)
Further information:
The GdW Federal Association of German Housing and Real Estate Companies is the largest German industry umbrella organization and represents around 3,000 municipal, cooperative, church, private, state and federally owned housing companies nationwide and at the European level. They manage around 6 million apartments in which over 13 million people live. The GdW represents housing companies that manage almost 30 percent of all rental apartments in Germany.
Questions for the guests:
1. Federal Construction Minister Klara Geywitz and Prof. Dr. Moritz Schularick: As key players in the housing industry, what are your thoughts on the pressing issues facing the sector today such as the decline in building permits, poor housing construction conditions, and the inability to finance the massive tasks at hand? How do you anticipate addressing these challenges in the coming years?
2. GdW President Axel Gedaschko: Can you explain the importance of socially oriented housing companies in providing affordable living spaces in Germany? What specific measures do you propose to secure this crucial aspect of our society and ensure their financial viability?
3. Both guests: The GdW has presented its positions on the 2025 federal election, focusing on the need for affordable new buildings, a shift towards CO2 reduction, and improved financing conditions. In your opinion, what are the most critical aspects of these proposals? How do you plan to engage with political leaders and citizens to communicate the importance of these policies?
4. Prof. Dr. Moritz Schularick: Could you expand on the idea of a paradigm shift towards CO2 reduction in the housing sector? How does this differ from current approaches and what impact do you expect it to have on both the housing industry and the environment?
5. GdW President Axel Gedaschko: The GdW has been supporting socially oriented housing companies for 100 years. How has this mission evolved over time, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining affordable rents and living spaces amidst economic turmoil and rising costs?
Section 1: Introduction and background on the housing industry day in Berlin
– Ask both guests to provide their perspective on the importance of the Housing Industry Day in Berlin and the current state of the housing sector.
Section 2: The role of socially oriented housing companies
– Discuss the unique role played by socially oriented housing companies in providing affordable living spaces in Germany. Ask GdW President Gedaschko to elaborate on the challenges faced by these companies and how they can continue to maintain their mission amidst economic pressures.
Section 3: GdW positions on the 2025 federal election
– Explore the key
