The Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning

Affordable housing:
Strategies and challenges

(original title: Bezahlbares Wohnen – Strategien und Herausforderungen)

IzR 4/2018
Hrsg.: BBSR

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Content
Ute Birk,
Felix Lauffer,
Christoph Zander

Affordable housing
Introduction

Download (PDF, 1MB, File meets accessibility standards)

(in German)

Barbara Schönig,
Lisa Vollmer

Housing shortage yesterday and today

Housing is a basic need. But housing is traded as a commodity at the same time. Recurrent housing shortages result from this contradictory relationship. However, their concrete causes and features changed in the course of history as well as the strategies with which the German state wanted to restrict this dysfunction of the housing market. The article outlines this development in Germany from the late 19th century until today.

(in German)

Marietta E. A. Haffner

Housing affordability in the European Union

This contribution clarifies a number of main approaches to measuring the multi-dimensional concept of housing affordability. Regardless of the approach, one or more standards are required about the reasonableness of costs to income and cost to housing quality. The outcomes of the approaches illustrate that those at risk of poverty and tenants paying market rent are most at risk of encountering housing affordability problems.

(in English)

Steffen Wetzstein

Affordable urban housing in an international comparison
The "new housing issue" under critical scrutiny

The question concerning affordable and appropriate housing has been very pressing for some years again. This is shown by the discussion in the public, in administration and in politics as well as in the scientific discourse in an international perspective, i.e. in completely different countries. This research contribution analyses specific challenges, different approaches towards solutions and implementation strategies as well as the socio-spatial effects of political interventions with regard to affordable housing in an international comparison on the basis of comprehensive, comparative empiricism.

(in German)

Iris Ammann

Local alliance for housing
A successful instrument for the creation of affordable housing?

Many municipalities are using local alliances to find possibilities for affordable housing. Voluntary agreements between the municipalities, the housing industry, owners and other partners can strengthen housing construction in many places. The article describes how this works locally.

(in German)

Iris Ammann in a discussion with Elke Pahl-Weber

Local alliances for housing in practice

Iris Ammann (BBSR) speaks with Elke Pahl-Weber about the local alliances in Münster and Wolfsburg.

(in German)

Gregor Jekel

Affordable housing in the state capital Potsdam

An alliance for housing and building is intended to help to create affordable housing. The exchange of apartments is tested there as a remedy against housing shortage. This is so because the appropriateness for need has become a key issue in addition to affordability.

(in German)

Simon Wieland

Affordability through housing for employees

Sustainable affordability on the housing market is a task of the community. Firms can contribute to this through the renaissance of housing for employees. The article explains how and why entrepreneurial housing can promote affordable housing that is appropriate for needs.

(in German)

Gregor Voss,
Gunnar Zehe

Offensive for Building Land in Hesse: creation of affordable housing
A practice report on the creation of affordable housing

Building sites that are ready for construction are a rare commodity and a key factor of affordable housing. The state of Hesse supports its municipalities in the mobilisation of building land with the "Offensive for Building Land" in Hesse, which contributes joint know-how and can also act as a trustee.

(in German)

Frans Schilder,
René Scherpenisse

Policy and practice
Affordable housing in the Netherlands

In the past few years affordability has increasingly worsened, especially for lower income households. This article describes the causes and the most recent policy reactions to stop this trend in the Netherlands. The overheating of the housing market in the Netherlands has spurred debate on several issues, such as affordability and accessibility of the housing market for e. g. lower income households and younger people. In this contribution we provide some insights into how national and local policy makers address these issues.

(in English)

Susanne Heeg

Thinking and calling for the impossible!
Approaches for affordable housing

Everybody is talking about housing, but suggestions about how housing can remain affordable also for poorer persons and households in view of the dramatic development of prices are rarely made. The article especially considers approaches that want to regulate housing apart from market principles.

(in German)

Ute Birk in a discussion with Martin zur Nedden and Rolf Müller

Positions on "affordable housing" in Germany

Download (PDF, 4MB, File meets accessibility standards)

(in German)


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