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Delegation from Böblingen district visits innovative housing projects in Mannheim and Nuremberg.
Böblingen district. A delegation from the Böblingen district, consisting of the district administrator and social department heads, district councilors and employees of the municipal building and building authorities, visited an important project step in Mannheim: around 900 apartments are currently being built there by the company Nokera as part of serial construction.
On Friday, November 22nd, the delegation will also travel to the Lechner company’s production facility in Nuremberg to see another example of innovative housing construction. Both companies, Nokera and Lechner, are among the 28 providers selected within the Federal Ministry of Construction’s Europe-wide tender for serial and modular construction.
Norbert Ketterer, the founder of the Nokera company, comes from Böblingen and grew up there.
Tense situation
“The housing situation in the Böblingen district is extremely tense and, according to the current Pestel report, up to 8,500 apartments are currently missing,” explained District Administrator Roland Bernhard and continued: “In order to meet the urgent need for housing for middle-income employees subject to social security contributions, such as nursing staff, To cover skilled workers, police officers and bus drivers as well as pensioners, we have to take innovative and cost-effective ways. At the suggestion of the district council factions and with a unanimous interim decision, we will therefore press ahead with the establishment of a housing cooperative, the ‘BüWo’.”
On the one hand, the housing cooperative is intended to serve as a social project to create affordable housing and, at the same time, as an economic measure to strengthen the region. “By providing living space for small and medium-sized companies, we are making a contribution to retaining and recruiting skilled workers in the Böblingen district,” the district administrator continued.
Grants and loans
The planned housing cooperative will be financed by a combination of grants from the L-Bank, loans from the district and properties with favorable conditions from the municipalities. The use of serial and modular construction methods is intended to optimize both costs and construction time. In a first project step, a living space of around 7,400 square meters is planned by 2028. The target rent should be less than 10 euros per square meter in order to create real added value for the target group.
The municipalities in the Böblingen district play a crucial role here as they make land available. Thanks to the cost-effective but high-quality serial construction, the BüWo should be economically viable from the start and be in the black after a start-up phase.
Cost-effective and high quality
“Creating affordable, high-quality housing is one of our biggest challenges. The founding of BüWo is a milestone in creating long-term and sustainable housing for the citizens of our district. “Together with strong partners and innovative construction concepts, we can make an important contribution to easing the burden on the housing market and strengthening the region economically,” summed up the district administrator.
What specific strategies or initiatives are being implemented by your organizations to enhance collaboration between public and private sectors in creating affordable housing solutions in the Böblingen district?
Thank you for suggesting these questions! Can you introduce yourselves and your respective organizations to our readers? Additionally, what are your thoughts on the current housing situation in the Böblingen district, and how does this visit to Mannheim and Nuremberg fit into your efforts to address the challenge of providing affordable, high-quality housing for residents?
Second section:
Regarding the visited housing projects in Mannheim and Nuremberg, can you explain how they stand out as examples of innovative and cost-effective construction methods? What aspects of these projects do you find most interesting or promising, and how do they align with the district’s goals for affordable housing? Furthermore, how do you plan to incorporate these lessons learned into future housing initiatives in the district?
Third section:
You mention that the BüWo housing cooperative is intended to serve both social and economic purposes. Can you expand on this? How do you envision the cooperative’s impact on the local economy, and what role do you see for private companies like Nokera and Lechner playing in its success? Additionally, what challenges do you foresee in balancing the social and economic objectives of the BüWo, and how do you plan to address them?
Fourth section:
The article mentions the use of grants, loans, and favorable conditions from municipalities to finance the BüWo project. Can you elaborate on these financing mechanisms and their feasibility for future projects? How do you ensure that the project remains financially sustainable in the long term, and what role do you see for public-private partnerships in achieving this goal?
Fifth section:
what message do you hope to convey to other districts or municipalities facing similar housing challenges? Do you see potential for replicating the BüWo model or adopting similar approaches, and what key factors must be in place for success?
Thank you both for your insights and contributions to this important discussion on affordable housing in Böblingen district and beyond.
