The funding budget established by the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) program, dedicated to the age-appropriate or barrier-free conversion of properties, has been exhausted yet again. According to the “Neue Ruhr/Neue Rhein Zeitung” (Saturday edition), 150 million euros were available for this purpose in 2024. Due to lack of budgetary funds, the program was paused in 2025. A new budget resurfaced on April 8, 2026, but this recent pot has also been fully utilized.
However, the subsidy amount in this latest cycle was smaller: the Ministry of Construction, led by Verena Hubertz (SPD), allocated 50 million euros through the KfW “455-B” program in April. This funding is provided as a grant to property owners aiming to make their homes more accessible. Supported modifications include removing door thresholds, installing flush-floor showers, or fitting lifts.
Consequently, no new applications can currently be submitted. The property owners’ association, Haus und Grund, views the speed with which the funding pool has been depleted as strong evidence of significant demand for these improvements.
