Leipzig urgently needs new living space: IG BAU calls for a construction offensive!

Leipzig urgently needs new living space: IG BAU calls for a construction offensive!

In Leipzig the call for a comprehensive “housing recovery” is becoming louder and louder. The Construction-Agrar-Environment Industrial Union (IG BAU) North-West Saxony is calling for the housing shortage to be addressed with a new building offensive. Chairman Bernd Günther emphasizes the urgency of social housing and affordable housing. Last year only 2,771 new apartments were built in Leipzig, which does not adequately alleviate the existing misery, especially considering that the construction costs for 2024 are estimated at around 309.4 million euros. This situation is alarming, especially in view of the nationwide, chronic need for housing, which according to IG BAU is described as around 550,000 missing apartments, of which around 35,000 are in Berlin.

Günther not only calls for more new buildings, but also targeted renovation measures, especially for senior-friendly living. He emphasizes that savings are possible through the use of cost-efficient construction methods, such as the so-called “building type E”. This design could reduce costs by a quarter to a third. A study by the state building research institute ARGE supports this theory and at the same time warns against excessive requirements for noise and climate protection.

Demands for social housing

In order to cover the massive housing demand in Germany, decisive measures are required. Loud IG BAU At least 210,000 new social housing units would have to be created every year in order to achieve the long-term goal of 2 million social housing units by 2030. There are currently only around 1 million social housing units left, reflecting a steady decline since the 1990s. Expert Matthias Günther from the Pestel Institute speaks of a “chronic burnout in the social housing market”, which is further exacerbated by rising construction costs.

The traffic light government only funded 23,000 new social housing units in its last year, which is less than the annual average of previous years. In view of these developments, the partners in the “Social Housing” alliance are calling for a significant turnaround. Prof. Dietmar Walberg suggests significantly reducing construction costs by making construction easier. Additional measures such as reducing VAT to 7% for the construction of new social housing are also under discussion.

Conclusion and outlook

The housing market in Leipzig, as well as throughout Germany, is under pressure. The situation could be significantly improved with a clear new construction offensive and a reduction in bureaucracy in the construction industry. Günther appeals to those responsible to take these challenges seriously and to take concrete action to create the urgently needed social housing and affordable housing. Because without a sustainable solution, not only social cohesion is at risk, but also future economic stability.