Potsdam plans 15,000 new apartments up to 2040 - what does that mean for tenants?

Potsdam plans 15,000 new apartments up to 2040 - what does that mean for tenants?

Potsdam, Deutschland - The city of Potsdam is faced with a significant challenge by 2040: the construction of up to 15,000 new apartments. According to a forecast of the BBSR, the population will increase from around 188,000 to around 200,000 people. By 2045, the population could even increase to 206,000. However, despite this extensive new construction planning, there is an impossible need for 4,800 apartments, which underlines the urgency of the construction projects. This is reinforced by the growing trend towards smaller households, in particular one and two-person households. It is estimated that until 2040 such households will make up 80% of all new startings.

A future -prone residential model in this scenario are microapartments that are considered a useful form of living with an area of ​​up to 30 square meters. Of the total planned 15,000 apartments, around 2,200 small apartments, for which building law exist, have already been planned. In addition to Krampnitz, where 4,800 new apartments are planned, Kirchsteigfeld with long-term around 1,000 apartments and the star center in Drewitz with 950 apartments in four high-rise buildings are in addition to Krampnitz, the implementation is still uncertain. Around 750 apartments are also considered in the vicinity of the main train station in various projects.

new building and tenant protection

Another point on the agenda of the Potsdam town hall is the protection of tenants. The city administration should check whether new small, furnished and temporarily rented apartments can be approved. This is done as part of a decision by the building committee, which came about with a large majority and declines on the initiative of the SPD. There are particularly concerns about those microapartments that are seen as an intensification of the already tense housing situation in the city.

A city politics plans that microapartments are no longer approved in so -called milieu protection areas. Such a area extends, among other things, through parts of the Teltow suburb, where luxury renovations are already prohibited. The SPD parliamentary group argues that the rental price mirror could increase through these offers, which could not only influence microwongers but also other rents.

construction trends and challenges

All of these developments take place in a complex environment, which is also shaped by the general conditions on the German housing market. The new apartment has been struggling to Ukraine with increased interest rates and construction costs since the raid on Russia. Nevertheless, current figures show that the construction interest has dropped since the end of 2023, which could possibly give first positive impulses for future construction projects. In the fourth quarter of 2024, prices for the construction of new residential buildings rose by about 3.1 % compared to the previous year.

The federal government has taken measures to support housing and construction, which is reflected in increased degrees of new mortgages. In 2023, housing was 57 % of the total construction volume, which is an indication of a dynamic development in the industry.