Hesse is creating urgently needed living space for students in Wiesbaden

Hesse is creating urgently needed living space for students in Wiesbaden

There is a lot of activity in Wiesbaden because the Hessian state government is focusing on expanding housing options for students. At a recent topping-out ceremony for a new student residence on Hollerbornstrasse, Science Minister Timon Gremmels and Economics Minister Kaweh Mansoori reported that Hesse is aiming for an accommodation quota of ten percent in student housing provision. This initiative aims to provide more affordable housing for students in order to promote education and life in Hesse. The Hessian state government is making state-owned land available as part of a free leasehold for up to 99 years, which represents a significant step in the promotion of student housing, as hessen.de reports.

A total of 2,077 new dormitory places are currently being created in the state, and 2,947 additional places have already been created in recent years. The plans stipulate that 19,984 publicly funded student dormitory places will be available in the future. In order to achieve this, 1,005 subsidized places still have to be built and 1,072 places have to be planned. The construction project in Wiesbaden is being supported with 23.4 million euros and is part of a series of measures aimed at meeting the need for student housing.

New construction and promotion of housing

The funding in Hesse focuses primarily on the construction of new residential buildings for students and trainees. Investments in existing buildings to make them usable for the first time also receive funding. The prerequisite is that at least four contiguous residential spaces are created, as the information from wohnungsbau.hessen.de explains. The Hessian Economic and Infrastructure Bank (WIBank) offers comprehensive information on the funding conditions.

According to the German Student Union (DSW), there are currently around 195,000 dormitory places, but the supply rate for students with state-funded places is only 9.61 percent. This figure is worryingly low compared to previous years, when the rate was 15 percent in 1991 and 12.13 percent in 2008. There are over 237,000 state-subsidized dormitory places available nationwide, but the need for affordable housing remains high. Matthias Anbuhl, CEO of the DSW, underlined the urgency of addressing these challenges at a recent press conference. Currently, over 18,000 dormitory places are being planned or under construction, which represents a positive development, as stated in the [Student Union's] announcement Hesse](https://www.studierendenwerke-hessen.de/pressemitigungen/detail?tx_news_pi1%5Baction%5D=det ail&tx_news_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D=News&tx_news_pi1%5Bnews%5D=630&cHash=1eb3d0961630065405266037a62bfd7a) is held.

A look into the future

The federal government also plans to make 500 million euros available annually for the federal-state “Young Living” program in 2024 and 2025. These funds are intended to support the federal states in investing in the urgently needed dormitory places. Some federal states are already active, including Saxony, Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia, while Hesse is also keen to take part in these developments.

With all of these measures, Hesse shows that a good hand for the future of young people is required. The creation and promotion of affordable housing not only makes studying easier, but also further strengthens Hesse as an educational location. The anticipation for the new dormitories in Wiesbaden can grow, because we are specifically ensuring that students not only find a place to stay, but also a home.