DSW: Affordable housing for young people

Affordable housing for young people: special program for young people launched!

• 500 million euros in 2023 for the creation of dormitory places for students and trainees
• plus a further two billion euros for social housing construction

Berlin, 30 March 2023. In recent years, it has become increasingly difficult for young people to find affordable housing. That is why the "Young Housing" funding program was launched, with which the federal states can create housing for young students and trainees with 500 million euros. This can be used for the expansion, new construction or conversion of dormitory spaces. Condition for the program start is an administrative agreement between the federal government and the states, which was concluded with the last signature 24 March 2023 and came into force.

Klara Geywitz, Federal Minister of Housing, Urban Development and Construction:
"For the first time, there is a support program within the framework of social housing only for young people during theri education. They should concentrate primarily on their education and not spend weeks or even months looking for housing. With half a billion euros, the states can now build or convert dormitory places to attract young people to the region or keep them there. This will make Germany as a whole an attractive location for young people, but the individual regions will also benefit considerably. Once you're there, you might stay. How well housing can be found that everyone can afford is a decisive factor here. With this targeted focus on young housing, we will certainly achieve success quickly."

Stefan Körzell, DGB Executive Board Member:
"The German government is sending a good signal with its federal-state program for young housing. It is important to us that this project creates attractive and affordable housing throughout Germany - for trainees and students alike. Affordable, high-quality halls of residence for trainees and students must finally be established nationwide so that independent and self-determined living is possible. If our society needs more skilled workers, it must also ensure that trainees and students can be mobile and can afford to rent near the company where they are working or where they are studying."

Matthias Anbuhl, Chairman of the Board of Deutsches Studierendenwerk:
"As an association of student unions, which operate 195,000 dormitory places for students, we expressly welcome the federal-state program 'Young Living'. After decades in which responsibility for this was left solely to the federal states, the federal government is once again getting involved in dormitory construction for students! We are pleased that Minister Klara Geywitz is launching this program with a federal share of 500 million euros; this is the largest funding program since German reunification. We appeal to the federal states to provide funding for their part and to give the program even more strength. The student unions are ready to use the funds to create and modernize new, affordable housing for students, even under difficult economic conditions and rapidly rising construction prices."

Julia Böhnke, ver.di national youth secretary:
"Trainees need affordable housing, especially in metropolitan areas where demand continues to rise. While there have long been dormitories for students – however, with too few places - trainee dormitories are still the exception. That's why we welcome the federal government's "Young Housing" funding program. Particularly against the backdrop of the shortage of skilled workers, it is important to offer young people not only good training conditions, but also affordable housing from where they can easily reach both the company and school."

There is also a further two billion euros in 2023 for social housing. Here, too, the corresponding administrative agreement has come into force with the signing of all the states. The two billion are part of an offensive for affordable housing. By 2026, the federal government will provide the states with a total of 14.5 billion for social housing construction.

Contact at the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Construction:
Daniel Totz, Press Spokesman
Krausenstr. 17-18, 10117 Berlin
Telephone: 030 18335 - 16446
Cell: 0171 8189464
E-mail: daniel.totz@bmwsb.bund.de
Internet: www.bmwsb.bund.de

Find the press release online here.