From Hildburg Bruns
Lederer, Giffey, Geisel, Jarasch on the way to the last stand. They look like the Magnificent Four. But is it really all peace, joy, rent alliance? Everyone has a 22-page paper in their pocket that says CONFIDENTIAL DRAFT. It is an agreement with landlords, investors, associations, construction politicians in the districts.
It is about new construction as in similar alliances in Hamburg and in the federal government, but in the capital for the first time also about the regulation of rents. About affordable housing and protection from exploding loads.
BZ names the three most important points for tenants
► Access to affordable housing: Even large private landlords (from 3000 apartments) undertake to allocate every third apartment that becomes vacant to low-income households (WBS-eligible).
There are currently many more in the case of municipal companies – but there a 60 percent quota already leads to social hotspots, so it should be partially relaxed.
► Income-related increases: There is a load limit for rent increases – no increase in the net cold rent if more than 30 percent of the annual net household income would be lost for living. But this cap only applies to those entitled to WBS, not to all tenants, as the governing Franziska Giffey (44, SPD) had initially sought.
► Cap limit: The federal government is planning to reduce the legally possible increase from 15 to 11 percent (within three years) in tight housing markets such as Berlin. The big landlords are now orienting themselves towards this immediately after the signing of the alliance – so it is more likely to apply in the capital.
DGB boss Katja Karger can only have the paper voted on internally on July 1st, said before the last meeting: “The city of Berlin has made a lot of commitments. It’s a bit thin on the real estate company side” Photo: DAVIDS/Sven Darmer
Another agreement: WBS beneficiaries may not be increased by more than 2 percent per year – the state-owned companies push it down to 1 percent.
“The expectations of many were certainly higher. But everyone at the table wants to build faster and enable affordable living,” said Spandau’s building councilor Thorsten Schatz (39, CDU) after the last meeting.
The paper is due to be signed on Monday. At least from the first participants of the alliance. Because some have to consult their committees first, if they can’t do it beforehand.
Michael Lippitsch (36) represents the Heimstaden company with 20,000 apartments in Berlin: “I now have to have everything translated into English and send it to Sweden. I can’t say whether we’ll sign it yet.” Photo: DAVIDS/Sven Darmer
“I have to have everything translated into English and then send it to my headquarters in Sweden,” says Michael Lippitsch (36) from the Heimstaden company, which owns 20,000 apartments in Berlin.
In the best case, the alliance protects around 900,000 of a total of 1.97 million tenants in Berlin.
AAt the table with the 26 guests, the seat of Vonovia boss Rolf Buch (57), the largest landlord in Germany, remained empty yesterday. Because of a personal appointment, his representative did not show up either. “It doesn’t mean anything!” says company spokesman Matthias Wulff (46) of BZ, “a family obligation.”
Who enforced what?
► The governing Franziska Giffey (44, SPD) said: “We worked very hard. I’m confident.”
beneficiaries
►Deputy Mayor Klaus Lederer (48, Left) had on his agenda above all the demand to push through a re-letting quota to low-income households. And: that the homeless in particular are provided with housing
While BBU boss Maren Kern (l.) was only cautiously optimistic (“Wait and see who doesn’t sign”), Manja Schreiner from the construction specialist community is satisfied in conversation with BFW board member Christopher Weiß: “The alliance is the right way”. Photo: DAVIDS/Sven Darmer
►Building Senator Andreas Geisel (56, SPD) gets backing for more new construction. But must also deliver together with the districts: the introduction of the electronic construction file, application for the electronic WBS from January.
►Environment Senator Bettina Jarasch (53, Greens) pushed through two pages of eco-demands in the final paper. Among these, a nature cent is to be paid for building land used for the maintenance of parks.
The nature cent – and what else is in the contract
The alliance’s contract is not only about rents, but also about many details about the new building. The most important points:
►100,000 apartments should be completed by the end of 2026. The associations commit their member companies to this goal. The majority (60,000) are being built by private companies, municipal companies 35,000, cooperatives are taking on 5,000 – in return they are being offered 25 percent of the state-owned land with leasehold rights (for 99 years).
►New development plan procedures for residential construction are to be completed within three years. If the deadline is exceeded, the Senate puts pressure on the district concerned and orders it before a Senate commission.
►A Berlin nature cent is introduced. In Hamburg there has been this eco-compensation for land use since 2016 – the money goes into the maintenance of parks etc. Berlin is also expanding the promotion of solar energy and timber construction.
►The construction of 5000 social housing units/year is to be promoted. Last year, investors called up funding for just 1,011 social housing units! No wonder the number in Berlin is shrinking. “A disaster” calls the building senator Andreas Geisel (56, SPD). As an incentive, Berlin wants to provide more funding in the future and always adjust the funds to the rising costs. Instead of the previous 500 million euros, 740 million per year are available in the new budget.
►In addition to housing for lower incomes (30 percent), investors must also build for middle incomes (20 percent) – then they can convert previous fallow land into building land. The rent then starts at 6.60 euros/m² for the first funding route, and at 8.20 euros/m² for the second for medium incomes.
►Fast public transport connection for new construction projects. The aim is to complete the transport infrastructure at the same time as the new quarters.
