Affordable housing is desperately needed nationwide. But the authorities continue to record falling numbers for building permits. Could conversions and roof additions bring relief?
The number of building permits in Germany fell in the first half of 2022. The authorities approved the construction and conversion of 185,772 apartments, which was 2.1 percent less than in the same period last year, as the Federal Statistical Office announced on Thursday in Wiesbaden. In June alone, a decline of 4.5 percent to 30,425 apartments was recorded compared to the same month last year. The trade union construction, agriculture, environment (IG BAU) spoke of an alarm signal.
From January to June, 161,177 apartments were approved for new residential buildings to be constructed, 2.1 percent fewer than in the same period of the previous year. The number of permits for single-family homes fell significantly by 17.0 percent to 41,765. In the case of two-family houses, on the other hand, the number of approved apartments rose by 1.6 percent to 16,622. In the case of apartment buildings, there was an increase of 7.8 percent to 99,755 apartments.
No more capacity for craftsmen
The number of building permits is an important indicator of the housing shortage in many cities. However, approved apartments are often not built at first because craftsmen and construction companies do not have the capacity due to high demand. In addition, there are rising prices for building materials and building land, rising building interest rates, impending supply bottlenecks for building materials, and the general uncertainty of a crisis, said IG BAU boss Norbert Feiger.
“There is a significant shortage of social housing and affordable housing in large parts of Germany,” said Feiger. He called for alternatives to new construction. “Specifically, it’s about moving forward with the conversion and the addition of a storey – with building rights that make this possible and not make it more difficult.” Up to 1.9 million new apartments could be created simply by converting offices that would no longer be needed due to home office.
Federal Office for Building Permits Full year 2021 Federal Office for Building Permits June/1. half year 2022
Source: Stern
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
