According to the Thuringian Ministry of Infrastructure, 224 new social housing units were built in the state in 2022. In 2021, however, there were more than twice as many apartments.
Above all, the situation in the construction industry has slowed down the construction of social housing, according to the ministry, in relation to inflation and the lack of staff in the construction companies.
More apartments fall out of rent control
According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, Thuringia invested a total of 240 million euros in social housing between 2017 and 2022. With the help of the funding, more than 1,600 apartments were newly built and 535 apartments were modernized.
However, according to the housing industry association in Thuringia, up to 1,000 apartments per year are no longer subject to rent and occupancy restrictions. As a result, there are fewer and fewer social housing units in Thuringia for people on low incomes.
Social housing and rent control Rents for social housing are regulated by the state. Only people for whom the authorities see a special need are allowed to live there. After a certain period of time, however, the apartments can be rented out normally on the market. The duration of this bond is regulated differently in the federal states.
According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, the country alone is not able to solve the problem. The federal government is obliged to provide more money for the construction of social housing.