Senator Geisel: Space available for 200,000 new apartments

Andreas Geisel, Senator for Urban Development

According to the Senate, there is enough available building land in Berlin to achieve the target of 200,000 new apartments within ten years.

"There is enough space for this in the city," said Urban Development Senator Andreas Geisel (SPD) on Tuesday (March 22, 2022) after a Senate meeting. "Our task is to ensure that these areas are actually utilized." A report presented by Geisel stated that 90,000 apartments could be built by 2030 and another 23,000 by 2037 in the wake of 196 major projects already planned. Smaller projects would offer potential for a further 110,000 apartments, for example by filling gaps between buildings or adding storeys to existing residential buildings.

New Senate committee for housing projects

To quickly resolve conflicts in the implementation of housing projects and avoid delays, the Senate set up a special Senate Commission which includes five senators and Berlin's head of government Franziska Giffey (SPD). Depending on the individual projects, other stakeholders will also be involved, such as representatives of the districts. As Geisel explained, there are still unresolved issues in about half of the 196 major projects - including questions about ecological compensation areas, additionally required schools and daycare centers, or traffic connections. Solutions would have to be found quickly here.

Housing construction to be facilitated and accelerated

An amendment to the state building code, which the Senate has initiated, is also intended to make building easier and faster. According to Geisel, it enables serial construction and simplifies the conversion of attics, for example. In addition, there are specifications, for example, on the barrier-free accessibility of apartments and a ban on the complete boarding up of front gardens. The construction industry, the Association of Berlin-Brandenburg Housing Companies (BBU), and the CDU criticized that the amendment would make building more expensive and more difficult.