"Andreas Breitner, head of VNW, expresses doubt about achieving climate neutrality by 2035 for social housing residents"
In the pursuit of climate neutrality by 2035, social landlords in Lübeck and other North German cities are grappling with significant financial hurdles. These challenges are too serious to be left to emotions alone, requiring hard facts and innovative solutions.
The Association of North German Housing Companies (VNW), which represents 467 housing cooperatives and housing companies in Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Schleswig-Holstein, is at the forefront of this challenge. VNW, an association of landlords with values, provides homes for around two million people in their 775,000 apartments.
One of the key players in Lübeck is the municipal housing company TRAVE. TRAVE needs to invest approximately 837 million euros to achieve climate neutrality by 2035, a daunting figure for the company, which currently has an annual surplus of around three million euros. To meet this goal, TRAVE must double its current annual investment volume from 40 to 80 million euros, a feat that seems unrealistic given its financial constraints.
Similarly, housing cooperatives in Lübeck face a similar situation, needing hundreds of millions of euros to achieve climate neutrality by 2035. The energy transition is overwhelming these companies and threatening their 'business model' of providing affordable housing for people with middle and low incomes.
The challenges extend beyond financial constraints. There is a lack of skilled workers to implement the renovation work within the next ten years, posing a significant obstacle to achieving climate neutrality.
However, social landlords are not backing down. They are addressing the financial challenges through innovative, modular, and economical construction methods combined with sustainability principles. These methods, such as modular building techniques, allow for cost-efficient, high-quality residential buildings that incorporate climate-neutral design principles.
Cross-sector collaboration and innovation are also key strategies. Municipalities work with universities, startups, and European partners to foster green technology innovations and sustainable urban development funding. This aids social landlords by opening avenues for financing and technical support for retrofitting or new climate-neutral housing projects.
An example of this approach can be seen in Münster’s Steinfurter Straße model quarter, which promotes climate-neutral buildings combined with social inclusion and economic vitality. These model quarters emphasize mixed-use development, sustainable mobility, and shared green spaces to create livable environments that appeal to diverse populations, including low-income tenants.
Despite these efforts, achieving climate neutrality without increasing rents requires massive state funding, which the state and federal governments have shown little willingness to provide. Rents could increase by up to 1.50 euros per square meter due to climate neutrality measures, amounting to an additional 90 euros per month or 1,080 euros per year for a 60-square-meter apartment.
For more information, the Association of North German Housing Companies (VNW) can be contacted at +49 40 52011 226, Mobile: +49 151 6450 2897, Email: [email protected]. Social landlords maintain their residential buildings for many decades and rent out apartments at low prices permanently, making their commitment to affordable housing clear.
The challenges are significant, but social landlords in Lübeck and North Germany are demonstrating that with innovation, collaboration, and a focus on sustainability, it is possible to achieve climate neutrality while maintaining affordable housing.
- Despite the Association of North German Housing Companies (VNW) exploring innovative, modular, and economical construction methods for climate-neutral buildings, achieving climate neutrality without increased rents requires massive state funding.
- In the pursuit of climate neutrality, environmental science plays a crucial role in guiding social landlords towards sustainable urban development and green technology innovations.
- Businesses in the finance sector can collaborate with social landlords to provide funding for the massive investments required to make housing stock climate-neutral, ensuring the continuation of affordable housing.
