Gröner: Housing shortage in Berlin and the role of politics

Gröner: Housing shortage in Berlin and the role of politics

Christoph Gröner, one of the leading builders in Germany, has his business headquarters in Berlin, but has not been building anything new here for two years. He was an important donor for the Berlin CDU in 2020. Nevertheless, he describes himself as a convinced social democrats. Gröner commented on the challenges of ecological building and the increasing construction costs, which make affordable living space more and more a luxury

In cities like Munich and Hamburg, the high property prices are a main factor for the increased construction costs. Berlin has experienced an enormous increase in property prices in recent years. Gröner explained that the tight plots of land are left to speculators and that this is the greatest challenge. As the managing director of various real estate companies, he has looked after numerous projects in various German cities, including in Berlin.

GRÖNER emphasized the importance of a city for real estate prices. The affordable living situation in Berlin has an impact on whether new construction projects are profitable. He also criticized the political ideology, which sometimes hinders the creation of inexpensive living space. Nevertheless, there is still great potential for construction projects in Berlin, especially if the political will is available for efficient construction planning.

With regard to the energy transition, Gröner critically commented on the changeover to air-air heat pumps, since in the long run this is neither affordable nor energy-efficient. He advocated alternative methods such as geothermal energy and emphasized the importance of sustainable solutions when building real estate. Despite his political donations to the CDU, Gröner said that his actions did not match his election behavior and that he does not support the party.