If you want to build and use government funding, you have to wait until at least March.

According to information from the FAZ, the federal government's revised programs should only then be available at the KfW development bank.

When asked, a spokeswoman for the responsible federal building ministry only confirmed an announced start in the second quarter.

However, she assured that the old funding, which had already been greatly reduced, will continue until then.

Bernd Freytag

Business correspondent Rhein-Neckar-Saar based in Mainz.

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For builders and the construction industry, the delay is another piece of bad news.

Not only are inflation and scarcity driving up construction prices, but the uncertainty about funding opportunities is continuing for another quarter of a year.

KfW in demand in many places

From January onwards, the Federal Building Ministry under Minister Klara Geywitz (SPD) will be responsible for the new building programme.

The much larger subsidy budget for renovations remains with the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

According to the industry, the fact that the new subsidy programs are not coming any faster is not only due to this change.

The KfW is currently in high demand in many places due to the ongoing emergency programs and is simply overwhelmed, it is said.

Under Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens), the federal government had significantly limited the new building subsidies at the beginning of the year with reference to weak energy requirements.

In fact, only those who build an efficiency house in "Sustainability Class 40", which only uses 40 percent of the energy of a standard house, receive money from the state.

Which new buildings will be funded in the future has been open for months.

The only thing that is clear is that the new funding budget, totaling one billion euros, will soon reach its limits.

Especially since so far "only" 350 million euros have been earmarked for the promotion of home ownership, 650 million for multi-storey buildings.

One of the most important demands of the construction industry is that there should finally be clarity about the "subsidies".

Before today's meeting of the state building ministers in Berlin, the German Construction Industry Association (HDB) is also pushing for an increase in subsidies and tax relief in the form of a special depreciation.

Incoming orders have fallen by a quarter year-on-year, said HDB general manager Tim-Oliver Müller of the FAZ Without the investment offensive promised in the coalition agreement, there is a risk of a “complete belly landing”.

The goal set by Building Minister Geywitz of building 400,000 apartments a year will again be missed.

Müller assumes that the number this year could even fall below the 300,000 of the previous year.

The announced one billion euros in support does not even compensate for the additional costs for loans and material.