Housing construction turbo in the Schwarzwald-Baar district: new living now!

Housing construction turbo in the Schwarzwald-Baar district: new living now!

In the Schwarzwald-Baar district, a powerful “housing construction turbo” is required in order to meet the increasing demand for living space. The IG BAU Südbaden has formulated clear demands, which are underlined by the chairwoman Ilse Bruttel. She speaks of a necessary “living boom” for the district and for all of Baden-Württemberg. With 540 new apartments last year, including 198 in single- and two-family houses, the region is falling short of expectations schwarzwaelder-bote.de reported.

IG BAU agrees that construction activity in the Schwarzwald-Baar district must be increased. The construction costs for 2024 are estimated at around 96 million euros, but in order to create socially affordable living space, a quick solution is required. The proposal to reduce bureaucracy in the construction industry is a first step. Above all, excessive standards and cost-intensive DIN standards should be reduced in order to reduce construction costs by 25 to 33 percent. At the same time, the ARGE study points out the risks of excessive noise and climate protection requirements, which can make new construction projects even more expensive.

A new approach to construction

With the “Building Type E”, a concept is in the starting blocks that is intended to promote simple and efficient construction. Reduced requirements for ceiling thicknesses and external walls as well as the elimination of underground car parks demonstrate innovative approaches to reducing costs. These measures are necessary to deal with the current challenges, because IG BAU makes it clear that the state must adapt building regulations in order to reduce funding. In order to be able to create 100,000 new social housing units nationwide every year, at least 11 billion euros in funding are needed, while 60,000 affordable apartments require at least 4 billion euros per year.

IG BAU draws a concerned conclusion in the nationwide discussion about housing construction. According to a report by rnd.de, over 21 billion euros were spent on housing assistance in 2022, while investments in new construction of social housing only amounted to around 5 billion euros. Robert Feiger, the head of IG BAU, sharply criticizes this disproportion and calls for a switch to more new buildings and higher subsidies.

A look beyond national borders

The digital construction site could be a key to solving the problem. A study in Berlin-Lichtenberg shows that modular construction can be built quickly and cost-effectively. This construction method allows rooms to be delivered completely finished and assembled on site, which significantly shortens construction time. The construction price in modular construction is only 2,000 euros per square meter, less than half of the regular construction price, according to rbb24.de. These approaches could also be helpful in the Schwarzwald-Baar district and other affected regions in order to create affordable housing and meet urgent needs.

IG BAU relies on regulatory solutions and is calling for a housing construction day to discuss the possibilities and needs of social housing directly with the federal government. In the current situation, one thing is clear: a rethink is necessary in order to meet the challenges on the real estate market and to create social housing.