Good housing in Stuttgart: City and housing industry agree new basis for cooperation

Together with Karin Autenrieth, Rüdiger Maier and Jürgen Oelschläger from the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Stuttgarter Wohnungsunternehmen (ARGE) as well as Bettina Klenk and Bettina Fuchs from the Verband Immobilienwirtschaft Stuttgart e.V. (IWS), the Lord Mayor emphasized that the current challenges for housing construction can only be mastered together.

Dr. Frank Nopper: "We have found a good compromise that opens up the opportunity to create new affordable housing, even in difficult times."

Jürgen Oelschläger, spokesman for the Stuttgart Housing Companies Working Group, emphasizes: "Stuttgart's housing companies want to invest in our city. It's good when the city and housing companies pull together and move in the same direction."

Bettina Klenk from the Verband Immobilienwirtschaft Stuttgart e.V. (IWS), which primarily represents private developers, adds: "Due to the changed framework conditions, such as higher interest rates and higher construction costs, it has become difficult for many people to afford their own property. Stuttgart also needs rental apartments. It is now important that private-sector developers, investors and the city work together to ensure that construction and investment really does take place again."

By laying the foundations for cooperation, the city and the private housing industry have reached a compromise on the question of how many social housing units must be built when the city creates new building rights. According to the compromise, 30 percent of new apartments must be built as social housing in future - ten percentage points more than before. In addition, ten percent of the apartments must be offered below the local comparative rent as rent-controlled apartments or condominiums subsidized by the city.

This compromise brings together the interests of those seeking housing, the housing industry and the city and takes into account the economic, ecological and social aspects of housing.

The city has also set itself a very ambitious target: To enable the construction of 20,000 new apartments by 2033. Relevant shares of urban land are to be offered not only to building cooperatives, cooperative-oriented companies and SWSG, but also to real estate companies if they make relevant commitments for occupancy rights. The existing 16,300 subsidized apartments and 19,000 apartments with municipal occupancy rights are to be retained or new ones added to the housing stock.

Furthermore, the city is expanding its housing subsidies: in addition to the land subsidy granted, there will be an additional municipal subsidy of 300 euros per square meter of living space for newly built social rental apartments. Housing projects that have been put on hold for economic reasons could thus be relaunched.

In order to achieve the city's climate protection goals, an energy partnership is also part of the agreement. On the basis of municipal heat planning, it will be worked out in what form a climate-neutral energy supply is possible in the neighborhoods. The energy-efficient refurbishment of existing buildings is an important prerequisite for reducing the city's overall energy requirements.

The WohnenPlus program has set the target of building 20 apartments per year. WohnenPlus is a municipal program that provides guarantee contracts for apartment owners. With WohnenPlusm, private housing companies can now also take advantage of the program.

Furthermore, inclusive neighborhoods with a high proportion of barrier-free and age-appropriate apartments are to be created in order to meet future demand in this area.

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