The German Association of Cities and Municipalities (DStGB) has called on the federal government and the states to make rural regions more attractive in order to tackle housing shortages and rising rents in densely populated urban areas. André Berghegger, the DStGB CEO, told the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger” that “Germany needs to rethink the issue of housing and approach it in a more sustainable way.”
He emphasized the need to focus efforts “on the areas outside of major metropolitan centers.” Currently, 1.9 million homes are vacant in rural regions, and over 700,000 of these are set to be ready for occupancy within the next three months. According to the DStGB, federal and state governments should not merely “patch up the symptoms in urban centers through rent controls or housing construction initiatives,” but must introduce a comprehensive general concept this year.
To transform peripheral regions into attractive living environments, the DStGB argues that connectivity must be improved, ideally through new or revitalized rail lines, linking these areas better to the major urban hubs. Improving structural weaknesses could also be achieved by enhancing healthcare provision, boosting cultural and leisure offerings, and expanding public transportation systems.
Berghegger further highlighted that allocating funds from the special infrastructure endowment would be necessary for a sustainable national transformation. He concluded that such a holistic concept would “be a real contribution to ensuring comparable living standards across all of Germany.”
