Numerous balconies and windows can be seen on the facade of an apartment building currently under construction, two aerial work platforms are parked in front of the building.
© dpa
The Berlin Senate has given a positive assessment of the commission established four years ago to accelerate housing construction.
Thanks to the commission’s work, 19,700 new apartments, whose construction had previously hit a snag, have been set in motion, announced Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) and Senator for Construction Christian Gaebler (SPD). They cited the Alte Schäferei project in Französisch Buchholz, with 2,500 apartments, as one of the largest initiatives.
The commission's task is to improve the framework conditions for new construction in Berlin, accelerate key housing projects, and agree on solutions to any obstacles that arise. Conflicts and problems arose in the projects the commission reviewed, stemming, among other things, from nature conservation and species protection, debates over school buildings and infrastructure, and plans for mixed-use residential and commercial development.
"New apartments will only be built if all stakeholders work closely together and seek solutions," said Wegner. "The Senate has significantly accelerated housing construction in Berlin." He cited the building code, the "Faster Construction Act," and the "Simpler Construction Act" as tools to achieve this. Both politicians pointed out that the Senate expects up to 80,000 new apartments to be built between 2022 and the end of 2026. That would provide housing for more than 160,000 people - roughly equivalent to the population of a city like Heidelberg. "This puts Berlin well above the average of other federal states," Gaebler emphasized.