Villingen family home: higher rents despite a surplus of 1.2 million euros?

Villingen family home: higher rents despite a surplus of 1.2 million euros?

The Familienheim cooperative in Villingen can look back on a successful year: in the anniversary year, which marks the 75th anniversary, an annual surplus of 1.2 million euros was achieved. The balance sheet profit is a respectable 245,000 euros, and the equity ratio is a solid 40.3 percent. However, managing director Sebastian Merkle points out that rent increases cannot be ruled out, but promises that rents will be “socially structured”. The rent barely covers costs anyway, which poses challenges for many tenants. The cooperative is not alone in this, as the building sector in Germany is lagging behind when it comes to climate protection Tenants' Association determines.

In order to counteract the shortage of skilled workers, the cooperative has set up its own human resources department. In addition, the offices in the Pontarlierstrasse office were renovated to make them more energy efficient instead of building a new building. This reflects the cooperative's commitment to acting not only economically but also ecologically responsibly. For its achievements, the cooperative received the “Iconic Award” for the selection of seasonal building materials and the “New Work Business Award” for its innovative collaboration. Next year, the cooperative will also be awarded the state’s economic award, the “Black Lion”.

The challenges of energy renovation

But not everything goes smoothly. Due to high costs, no new construction projects are planned. Instead, the extensive renovation of a high-rise building on Berliner Platz was completed, which cost five million euros. A pilot project for energy-efficient renovation from the 1970s is being planned from 2028. These measures are important because the building sector consumes around a third of the total energy consumption in Germany, and the majority of buildings are not adequately insulated.

A new study by the ifeu Institute, commissioned by BUND and Tenants’ Association, shows that tenants have to bear the brunt of the costs of the so-called modernization levy. This currently amounts to 8% of the annual investment costs, which often leads to higher rents despite lower energy costs. The tenants' association and BUND are therefore calling for a reduction to 3%.

• Steigende Kosten durch energetische Modernisierung belasten Mieter:innen erheblich.
• Ein Drittelmodell zur gerechten Kostenverteilung zwischen Mietenden, Vermietenden und dem Staat wird vorgeschlagen.
• Der Druck auf Vermieter:innen zur Sanierung ist gering, da sie Heizkosten nicht direkt selbst tragen.

Mayor Jürgen Roth praises the cooperative's social commitment, especially the annual family day in the spa park, which offers members and tenants a platform for exchange. In addition, Anita Neidhardt-März was re-elected as a supervisory board member, which further strengthens confidence in the future development of the cooperative.

Overall, it shows that the challenges in the housing situation are not only financial, but also ecological. The cooperative addresses these issues seriously, but at the same time must maintain the balance between financial feasibility and social responsibility.