Federal Minister Verena Hubertz (SPD) maintains her commitment to eliminating homelessness in Germany by 2030. Speaking to the Rheinische Post, Hubertz described the goal as a massive and demanding undertaking, stating that the right to housing is “something we are working very hard on and which is a top priority”. Addressing the most vulnerable populations who lack shelter, she emphasized that tackling this issue requires collaboration between the federal government, the states, and local municipalities. She noted that the federal government alone is set to allocate 23.5 billion euros to the states over the coming years to support affordable housing.
Hubertz also conceded that the planned cuts to housing benefits (“Wohngeld”) are difficult. She clarified that reducing benefits was not their primary intention, but due to severe budgetary constraints, every ministry must implement savings. “We don’t need to go around the subject” she said, adding that her ministry is currently negotiating with the Finance Ministry to ensure these reductions are as tolerable as possible. She underscored that even a drastic reduction (“clear-cutting”) of funding programs in the core budget would not generate the necessary billion euros, meaning the cuts are unavoidable.
Despite criticism from the industry and the coalition partner, Hubertz strongly defended the idea of establishing a state housing company. She argued that a genuine “game changer” is needed in the current circumstances. She clarified that this would not involve creating another large government agency, but rather a streamlined instrument designed to rapidly and efficiently award contracts for large-scale, industrial construction. “I am a founder” she remarked, “and if there are 99 ‘no’s,’ perhaps the hundredth will be a ‘yes.'”
