Building Senator Christian Gaebler continues to believe that the alliance for new residential construction and affordable housing initiated by the red-green-red Senate makes sense. “The alliance must be continued. We’ll have to see whether we’ll set new accents or not. In any case, we believe that this is a good platform to clarify and advance things together,” said the SPD politician of the German Press Agency. “What we know so far is that the parties involved in the housing industry have also adhered to the agreements that we have made with regard to rent increase limits and hardship rules.” The state of Berlin, on the other hand, has not adhered to everything. “We haven’t accelerated that much, for example,” Gaebler admitted.
“In this respect, I understand that the construction and housing industry says: We have kept our promises, how far are you? The balance sheet doesn’t look that great. But we want to advance that over the next few months.” The housing alliance also has a self-esteem: “We talk to each other and we have defined common goals. There is no need to celebrate something new every month, it depends on what is implemented.”
In the end, everyone benefits if they build faster. “And that’s what the construction industry is all about. They don’t want all the requirements to be removed,” said Gaebler. “We need responsible people in the administrations who control the respective project for the entire specialist administration and ensure that everyone who needs to be involved is involved,” said the senator. “And the client doesn’t have to run to five departments in a Senate administration because they don’t talk to each other within a department.”
Expansion of the alliance possible
It should also be checked whether the alliance could be expanded. “I still find it strange that the tenants’ association negotiated for a long time, then got out with a bang and said, ‘But that’s all nothing’.”
Gaebler also believes that the new construction targets agreed in the alliance are correct: “We would have to reach the number of 20,000 new apartments per year in order to cover the demand. If we don’t manage to do that, we will fall short of what is needed,” said Gaebler. “But everything we create helps to at least gradually cover him.”
It’s about giving Berliners a home they can afford. “And if I only create 16,500 apartments, then I have at least accommodated 50,000 people in an affordable home,” said the SPD politician. “That’s why I don’t argue about numbers and don’t understand the malice – ‘But there were only 16,500 and not 20,000’ If there are 16,500 more apartments, then that helps the city and the people in the city.”
However, Gaebler admits that it has become more difficult to achieve the goal. “But what is the consequence? To say we only build 10,000 a year? People shouted straight away: The need is much greater,” he explained. “That’s why I say: There is an average target number. We won’t achieve that every year, not at the moment anyway, also due to the current interest rate development. But we are working on it.”
This included fast and efficient administrative decisions, faster building permits and also a positive attitude from the authorities involved. “In the sense of: There is a common goal and we do our best.”
The coalition agreement between the CDU and SPD states: “We are fundamentally committed to the new construction target of an average of up to 20,000 new apartments per year.” In Berlin there has been a lack of apartments for years, and rents have risen above average in recent years. Among other things, the construction industry is demanding significantly faster building permits. (dpa)
