Verena Hubertz
Photo: Sandro Halank, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
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- Oct 26
German government presents draft law for simpler, cheaper building under Gebäudetyp E
The Justice and Building Ministries want construction contract law changed so builders can agree to drop comfort standards that are not legally required. Pilot projects point to 10 to 15 percent lower building costs.
- Oct 19
Berlin's Left, SPD and Greens advance coalition talks as Merz opposes landlord expropriation
The SPD and Greens in Berlin backed formal coalition talks with Die Linke, which must approve them at a party congress about two weeks after 20 October. The parties' plan to nationalise assets of landlords with more than 10,000 apartments has drawn sharp criticism from the CDU and CSU.
- Oct 16
German building permits rise 6.8% in August as financing costs weigh on builders
Authorities approved 20,600 new dwellings in August, 6.8 percent more than a year earlier. Higher energy costs, rising interest rates and a weaker builders' sentiment index keep pressure on the sector.
- Aug 17
Low Rhine water levels strain German construction with material delays and rising costs
Falling water levels on the Rhine and other German rivers are cutting inland shipping capacity for construction materials, pushing up prices and delaying deliveries as the industry grapples with its third cost shock in a few years.
- Jul 4
German coalition moves to ban state-level expropriation of housing giants, Berlin SPD and Left cry foul
The CDU/CSU-SPD government wants to outlaw state-level takeovers of large landlords, a direct response to Berlin's 2021 referendum. Critics call it a gift to the Left ahead of September's city election.
- Jun 20
German government plans €2 billion cut to housing benefit, one third of recipients to lose eligibility
Federal Building Minister Verena Hubertz (SPD) has sent a draft law for inter-ministerial review that would slash annual Wohngeld spending by €2 billion and remove about 400,000 households from the rolls.
