Bad Nauheim remains steadfast: no accession to the WoBau for living space!

Bad Nauheim remains steadfast: no accession to the WoBau for living space!

in Bad Nauheim is currently being hotly discussed whether the city should join the new circle "Wobbau - affordable living space in the Wetteraukreis". The building committee dealt intensively with the advantages and disadvantages of an accession, but the result remains uncertain. Bad Nauheim has so far been the only municipality that has not joined the Wobau. The FDP parliamentary group, supported by Social Affairs Director Marion Götz (SPD), urges accession in order to benefit from the advantages such as advice, support and granting. This is particularly important because the housing market is tense and many municipalities are urgently looking for solutions to create affordable living space. According to Boeckler, around 1.9 million cheap apartments are missing in large German cities, which only reinforces the problem.

Mayor Klaus Kreß has expressed his concerns. He does not see any additional benefits for Bad Nauheim because his own wobbly is already sufficient. Kreß makes the nationwide migration policy and bureaucratic hurdles responsible for the lack of living space. He also emphasizes that the expertise, which is united at the Wobbau shareholders' meeting, is not sufficient to ensure reliable support. Critical voices within the building committee, including Michael Schmale (FW), Dr. Sven Steininger (Greens) and Steffen Mörler (CDU) share similar concerns. In this way, doubts about the effectiveness of the Wobau appear in view of the pressing housing shortage.

The challenges of the housing market

Despite the burgeoning discussions in Bad Nauheim, the overarching problem of the shortage of living space in Germany is unmistakable. Tagesschau reports that the Federal Government is working on the creation of affordable living space. Measures such as the relief for municipalities and the extension of the rental price brake are on the agenda. Housing construction has come under pressure, especially in large cities: high interest rates and increasing construction costs slow the completion of apartments drastically.

The number of 400,000 new apartments per year intended by the traffic light government is not only considered ambitious in the Wetteraukreis, but throughout Germany. If the challenges are not addressed immediately, housing in 2024 could decrease to the lowest level since 2009. The living situation affects more and more households: in large cities, six out of ten households have high rental loads, while almost 13 percent have to live below the subsistence level after deducting the rent. These numbers illustrate the urgency to improve the living situation.

an appeal for collaboration

As part of the debate, Natalie Peterek (SPD) called for the project to give the project a chance. After all, not only Bad Nauheim in Hesse, but also its neighboring communities face major challenges. Those who do not act could risk displacing residents with low and medium -sized incomes. Peter Heidt (FDP) has also pointed out that the integration of the low -income population should be a top priority into new residential projects.

residential cooperatives, private entrepreneurs and public actors should be funded to promote the new building and the renovation of rental apartments. The goal of the Wobau is clear: grants to create affordable rental housing must be granted in order to meet the need. Over 22 municipalities have already accepted the project, but a decision by Bad Nauheim is still pending. The decision was unanimously postponed to the session after the summer break - a decision that should not be pushed onto the long bank in view of the current shortage of housing.