Tens of thousands of social housing units could be lacking in Saxony by 2035. This is according to a study on social housing that was presented in Berlin this morning. The "Social Housing Monitor 2026", which was compiled by the Pestel Institute on behalf of the "Social Housing" alliance of associations, estimates that Saxony will need around 120,000 social housing units over the next nine years in order to achieve the minimum standard of 8.5 percent of all tenant households defined by the authors. According to the study, only Hamburg currently achieves this rate. In Saxony, it is one percent, one of the lowest figures in Germany.
11,100 new social housing units needed in Saxony each year
In concrete terms, according to the study, around 11,100 new social housing units would need to be added in Saxony each year. In fact, between one and three thousand have been created in recent years - even fewer in the coronavirus years. The Pestel Institute's calculations are based on data from the statistical offices. According to this, around 13 percent of people in Saxony are considered to be at risk of poverty. The state government also raised the income threshold for a so-called Wohnberechtigungsschein (WBS), which entitles the holder to rent social housing, at the turn of the year.
Housing shortage worsens nationwide
The study was commissioned by the Alliance for Social Housing, a coalition of the German Tenants' Association, IG BAU, the Society for Masonry and Housing Construction and other organizations. The alliance is calling for a federal-state pact, in particular for the construction of more social housing.
