According to the Munich Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the problem of a lack of housing or housing that is too expensive for new workers is increasing. The metropolitan areas are still particularly affected, said Annette Hilpert, head of department for urban and regional development at the IHK Oberbayern, the BR. Above all in Upper Bavaria and especially in the Munich area, “the problem of finding affordable housing has definitely arrived in rural areas”.
Too little affordable housing for low earners
“Medium and low-income earners” in particular are having increasing problems finding affordable housing or even an apartment, Hilpert continues. This is increasingly hindering the acquisition of personnel by companies, for example in sectors such as logistics, hospitality or public service. According to the state association of Bavarian bus companies, there were 2,000 missing in Bavaria at the end of 2022.
Many companies therefore support their employees in finding accommodation or set up company apartments straight away. As an example, Hilpert cited Stadtwerke München, which has set the goal of building 3,000 apartments for its employees by 2030. According to the Federal Association of German Bus Companies, there will be a shortage of 87,000 bus drivers in Germany over the next few years.
Landsberg: Bus company provides apartments for drivers
In Landsberg am Lech, for example, the bus company Waibel Bus recently took the initiative together with the district office and managed to recruit new bus drivers from abroad by arranging apartments. Due to the lack of staff, four city bus lines previously only ran hourly, but thanks to the new bus drivers, all buses are now running at the usual half-hourly intervals.
For example, Iliyan Iliev drives on the lines of the Landsberg city bus network. Born in Bulgaria, he came to Landsberg from Berlin. This was possible because his current employer arranged an apartment for him and his family. “Before that, I was in Berlin. There are many apartments there, but no work. It’s the other way around here,” says Iliev.
Living space in a commercial area as a solution?
The company has also set up temporary apartments on its factory premises in an industrial park in Landsberg and has accommodated several bus drivers recruited from Hungary there in recent months.
In addition, one would like to set up residential containers, said Waibel-Bus Managing Director Winfried Venerius the BR. However, this failed due to the lack of permits for living space in a commercial area. Here the municipalities would have to “become more flexible” with a view to the politically desired traffic turnaround. Currently there are still 20 positions to be filled.
Annette Hilpert from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce also proposes “funding programs, for example for the construction of company housing”, so that companies could get even more involved in the construction of new housing or in the renovation of existing buildings.