Building code amendment: Critical voices for the living space situation in Berlin

Building code amendment: Critical voices for the living space situation in Berlin

Criticism of the Building Code Novel: A chance for sustainable housing was missed

In Berlin, the amendment to the Building Code in cabinet was recently adopted. This decision is of great importance for housing in Germany and affects hundreds of thousand tenants. The general manager of the main association of the German construction industry, Tim-oliver Müller , was critical of the results of the new regulation.

The draft for changing the building code, which has now been adopted by the cabinet, shows that the intention behind the amendment is positive, but does not offer the urgently needed solutions. Müller emphasizes that the construction industry is dependent on comprehensive measures in order to finally eliminate the massive lack of housing. The building authorities have been fighting for years with a decline in approved apartments; The approval statistics have reached the lowest level since 2010.

A particularly worrying trend is the decline in the housing permits that has been in charge of 21 months. This illustrates a deeply rooted and ubiquitous lack of adequate living space, which has a dramatic effect on rents and the living environment of many people. In order to remedy this grievance, experts call for profound reforms in the approval process and an acceleration of the construction projects.

Although there are positive approaches, such as the adaptation of existing regulations for refugee construction to rental housing, more is necessary. Müller speaks for the extension of these regulations after 2027 to promote more effective solutions. In addition, the need is emphasized to rethink earlier requirements such as the obligation to equip new buildings with parking spaces. These requirements increase the construction costs and contradict the aim of creating living space quickly and cheaply.

Experts appeal to closer cooperation between the federal, state and municipalities. Only through a comprehensive strategy that integrates the various actors in the construction sector can the persistent problems in the housing market market be solved sustainably. A amendment to the law alone will not be sufficient to bring about the urgently needed changes.

The current situation is not only a challenge for the construction industry, but also a serious burden on society as a whole. The discussion about the novella of the Building Code is therefore of central importance to set the course for a future -proof living space.

Main association of the German construction industry e.V.
Britta Frischemeyer
Head of Press & Communication
Kurfürstenstraße 129, 10785 Berlin
Telephone 030 21286-229, Britta.frischemeyer@bau industrie.de, www.bauustrie.de