Study title

The study was commissioned by the German settlement and state pension bank with the objective to analyze the historical and future role of social housing in Germany. Another objective of the investigation was to evaluate 47 years of social housing and give recommendations for its future tasks. The results of the investigation give an overview over the role of social housing in different periods of the development of the housing market since 1950. The study also shows differences in social housing in the various federal states. “The present investigation summarizes almost 50 years of social housing and raises the question whether the entire system of social housing fits to the framework and conditions of the future housing market which can be predicted today with a relative certainty. The indicators for the future development of population and households indicate since already two decades that in the second half of the 90s there will be a decline in demand and afterwards a long stagnation in the housing demand on a lower level. Through the huge wave of immigrants in West Germany with more than five million persons the discussion of the 80s about the adjustment of housing subsidies was postponed again. Today, after the decline in immigration and smaller new generations that enter in the age of household foundation the question is raised again and seems even more urgent.” (Hübl, L./Möller, P., 1997, a. cit., p. 4f) The rules of social housing were discussed lively since its implementation. In the 45 years that passed since the approval of the first law housing in 1950 it a lot of changes and support methods were undertaken in order to be compatible with the social and economic framework. Important changes were induced especially trough the implementation of the law “III. Förderwegs” (Third funding way) in 1989. All changes were steps on the way to a higher flexibility of funding instruments. Data tables in HISTAT: A. Old states of Germany: Housing completions...