The German report

Els Keunen, Julia Hartmann, Axel Burkhardt and Astrid Ley

A chapter in Social housing opportunities and challenges: Perspectives from Denmark, Germany, Portugal and Serbia, 2026, pp 24-48 from ARL – Akademie für Raumentwicklung in der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft

Abstract: This chapter presents an overview of the social housing system in Germany. Unlike in many other contexts, social housing in Germany is conceived as a temporary, marketcorrecting policy; therefore, the social housing function is limited in time. While partially provided by the state, it is primarily supplied by the private sector. Due to privatisation efforts since the 1990s, the number of social housing units has decreased significantly. Moreover, although social housing rents must be below market level, they are becoming unaffordable due to general market price increases. In addition to social housing, Germany provides a housing allowance to low-income households to help cover rental costs or mortgage repayments. Tübingen, a growing secondary city in south-west Germany, faces similar housing challenges. However, initiatives such as the 'Tübingen Model' and strict regulations requiring developers to provide long-term affordable housing, have increased the social housing stock.

Keywords: Social housing; privatization; affordability; housing allowance; Tübingen; Germany (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:arlaba:339565

DOI: 10.60683/61xm-vp52

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