display

Wiesbaden (dpa) - Despite the corona pandemic, the German building authorities approved significantly more apartments in the past year.

The number rose compared to 2019 by 2.2 percent to 368,400, as the Federal Statistical Office announced on Wednesday.

This includes both permits for the construction of new buildings and construction work on existing ones.

The Wiesbaden statisticians explained that there have only been more approved apartments since the turn of the millennium in 2016 (375,400).

Even a strong setback last December (minus 11 percent) could not stop the upward trend for the year as a whole.

display

In the past year, around 320,200 apartments were approved in newly constructed residential buildings - 2.9 percent more than in the previous year.

Two-family houses were particularly in demand, where there was a sharp increase in permits (plus 20.5 percent).

Building permits for single-family houses grew by 2.4 percent, those for multi-family houses only slightly by 0.4 percent.

"The trend is right, but the dynamics are flattening out too much," commented Axel Gedaschko, President of the Federal Association of German Housing


and Real Estate Companies.

The increase in building permits was still 4 percent in 2019.

"In order to really promote affordable living in Germany, a stronger and lasting boost in building permits is necessary."

Building permits are an important indicator of new construction in the fight against the housing shortage in many cities.

Many apartments are approved but not yet built, for example because craftsmen and construction companies are overburdened in the real estate boom.

Therefore, the number of building permits far exceeds that of the completed buildings.

display

The corona pandemic did not slow down the demand for living space, said Tim Lorenz, Vice President Economy of the Main Association of the German Construction Industry.

"She showed us how important your own four walls are - after all, almost everything takes place at home."

However, there was hardly any increase in the number of permits for apartment buildings, which are important for the general public.

The rise in building permits does not hide the fact that there is a long way to go from the need for new buildings, especially in metropolitan areas, said Andreas Ibel, President of the Federal Association of Independent Real Estate and Housing Companies.

“Building permits must be issued quickly, especially where affordable housing is urgently needed, and that is the metropolises”.

Ibel also calls for politics in the Corona crisis to focus more on city centers.

"If we want attractive and lively inner cities in the future, we have to make it easier to live there."

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210317-99-856775 / 2

display

Message

Announcement for the new building 2019

Communication construction industry

Communication BFW