Sebastian Münzenmaier, July 8, 2025, Housing Ministry

German Bundestag, Plenarprotokoll 21/16, p. 1506. 

Right honorable Frau President. Ladies and gentlemen. 

Brand new housing in record time, despite a shortage of construction land and tight funds, for 1,000 people is impossible? – Wrongly reasoned! In Berlin-Kreuzberg, our state shows what is possible; at least, if the renters are so-called refugees. Then an office complex will in short order be reconstructed into housing units – money plays no role, the rental cost of 1.2 million euros per month paid by the diligent German taxpayer. If, however, it’s about housing space for one’s own citizens, then the matter suddenly appears quite different. Then all is complicated, and unfortunately there is often no more money. 

Happily, we now have a new Housing Minister with whom all shall be better, quicker and, before all, cheaper. Everyone here in the house is, I believe, aware: Building costs must go down. And which ideas does Minster Hubertz present to us with Lanz on the television? In the future, in regards new construction, underground parking should be simply omitted, and the parking places instead be moved above near the housing. Thus would 20 percent of the costs be saved. Frau Hubertz, what an inane proposal! In big cities, there is simply no room for such parking places near high-rise housing, but only the possibilities of underground garages or just no parking space.  In rural areas, that could be done, but honestly I know of only a few of which under a single family house one may, for a heap of money, accommodate one’s own underground garage. 

This unworldly proposal is unfortunately typical of our new Housing Minister. You, Frau Hubertz, wrap yourself in marketing phraseology. Yet as soon as it becomes substantial, you ever again show that you unfortunately have no idea of the real life of people out there. If you really want to lower the construction costs, then you please need to begin with yourself; since more that a third of the construction costs – all of 37 percent – originates at the monent with the state by means of insulation prescripts, taxes and duties and regulations. Fewer underground garages are thus not the solution, but fewer environmental investments, less bureaucracy and fewer taxes, ladies and gentlemen. 

And quite besides that: If you want to make housing at least a bit cheaper, then you could do, ja, as the coalition in the coalition contract promised, to reduce the electricity tax for private households. Yet even this mini-relief you grant to our citizens out there not at all, and instead cheerfully continue to shut it off, and indeed not only in regards electricity, but also in regards heating. 

You have quite openly conceded this, Frau Minister, recently in the Bild newspaper. To the question of what you would advise someone whose heating has gone kaputt, and who needs to renew the heating, you said: “Thus in no case install gas heating; since that will be so expensive when now the CO₂ price further rises.”  Instead, one should preferably take a peek at district heating [Fernwärme]. – In most cities in Germany, district heating is not at all extensively available. There where district heating is available, the costs straightaway explode – the May numbers for Frankfurt: Up 36 percent. From where the district heating in small towns in the country should come, for example in regards to you, Herr Limbacher, would interest me. How that should work, no one here in the house can explain to me. 

In addressing these problems, the Minister shows her completely clueless side: One can lease or rent a heating system – thus for one to two years – until one knows where the communal heating plans were going. That is no joke – I wish it was – but the Minister actually proposed that. Frau Hubertz, I knew that you are utterly fact-free. Yet your statements show me that you are also utterly extraterrestrial. 

Your priorities are obviously not in housing construction, but elsewhere. As the Handelsblätt reported, in the last two weeks you heaved two of your representatives into well endowed jobs at a new ministerial office. One co-worker will be remunerated, non-pay-scale, according to the highest possible pay, and the other co-worker shall as an official ad interim receive a basic salary of more than 11,000 euros per month. You have thus set up not a single impulse for new housing. Yet the old-age provision for two additional comrades has been secured, ladies and gentlemen. 

Fact-free, unworldly nepotism – to that add a bit of PR blah-blah – that perhaps suffices to make a career in today’s SPD. But the Housing Ministry is for you two sizes too big. 

Hearty thanks for the attention. 

                  Esra Limbacher (SPD): Yet we have no priors! 

 

[trans: tem]

Markus Buchheit, March 14, 2023, EU Forced Housing Restoration

AfD Kompakt, March 14, 2023

That eco-fanatics and climate sectarians are allowed to presume such a deep intervention in rights of ownership and privacy is unbelievable. This proceeding affects not only homeowners. Renters also will need to bear the costs. One in addition may be yoked to thousands of legal procedures which will strain the tormented citizens. Yet in Germany there still is in principle the basic right of Art. 13 of the Basic Law which guarantees the immunity of the dwelling. The individual has the right to a secured, elementary living space in which one is left in peace – and indeed from planned-economy, regulatory interferences in the freedom of individuals.

 

[trans: tem]

 

Sebastian Münzenmaier, February 10, 2023, Housing and Immigration

German Bundestag, February 10, 2023, Plenarprotokoll 20/86, pp. 10317-10318.

Right honorable Frau President. Ladies and gentlemen.

In a “best Germany of all time”, according to a homelessness report, almost 40,000 people are on the street, all together around 260,000 have no fixed shelter. Who with open eyes moves through German cities can see this suffering under many bridges and in many subway stations.

The motion put forward by the Linke now wants to fight this problem with the Housing First concept. Positive examples and some studies show that the concept thoroughly works. First a dwelling and then assistance in specific areas of living which are often concerned with an improvement and for a dwelling stability. We also welcome this concept. We are strongly persuaded that Housing First can be a component of a strategy against homelessness.  

Yet if this concept “Housing First” is to function, then known conditions need to be fulfilled, and that is the great contradiction of your motion, ladies and gentlemen. Since it is just your political dispositions which prevent successful strategies in regards homelessness. That has two reasons.

First. In Germany prevails an acute housing shortage, as you yourselves correctly write in your motion. Today, we are lacking 700,000 dwellings. That is besides the greatest deficit in more than 20 years. And what does the policy do to counter that? At the Federal level, the Federal ministries fail completely. The great goal of 400,000 dwellings – it really is an impudence that have have once again defended it – you have botched, you will botch it, you will never achieve it. You have this year crashingly failed. Apparently, not even 200,000 dwellings will be built this year. The only sensible thing which could done with your Ampel building ministry would be: We abolish it. We re-designate the offices as dwelling space. Then would Frau Geywitz have at least achieved one sensible thing in her life.

            Gabriele Katzmarek (SPD): You are again today quite witty?

Yet not only you of the Ampel are guilty of the housing misery – you need not get excited – the Linke also in part contribute to it.

Gabriele Katzmarek (SPD): Nevertheless quite witty, what you say there! Man, man, man!

You write in your motion, dear Linke, it should be managed “according to the example of the State of Berlin”. To me, that is real satire. It is, ja, nice, Frau Katja Kipping, that you use your last days as a Senator to visit us here in the Bundestag; we rejoice. Yet I would prefer you did your work in Berlin; since the housing market in Berlin, where you of the Linke have co-governed since 2016, is overall one of the most catastrophic. For years, the number of approved new housing constructions declines. And instead of promoting new housing construction, the Linke prefer to blather on about expropriations and, with their socialist projects like the rent cap, drive the last builders out of Berlin. You are not part of the solution, you are the problem, dear Linke delegation.

Dirk-Ulrich Mende (SPD): You are the problem!

Let us come to the second reason why your dispositions do not function. Even if you do not want to hear it – you may again bleat alike –

            Gabriele Katzmarek (SPD): Intelligent interjection, that was!

who wants Housing First must live “Germany First”. The uncontrolled mass immigration of the last years exorbitantly increases the housing demand.

            Maximilian Mordhorst (FDP): Yet it rapidly turns the corner!

Yes, I know, you do not want to hear it. Last year, 1.3 million foreigners came to Germany; those are not my numbers. I did not invite them; that was you.

            Wolfgang Strengmann-Kuhn (Greens): It was Putin who provided for that!

1.3 million foreigners! The empirica regio reckons in 2023 alone with an additional 600,000 households of Ukrainians alone in the housing market. Quite honestly: You always rile yourselves up over it!

            Maximilian Mordhorst (FDP): You always rile yourself up!

Yet is it then so difficult to grasp – I know it is apparently for one or the other really difficult – that you are able to just once bestow any dwelling in Germany? You can give them either to German citizens who produce the prosperity of this country, or implement them for projects like Housing First,

Leni Breymaier (SPD): What then do you want to do with the people? You wicked man, you!

or give them to anyone who yesterday has stumbled over the border.

            Gabriele Katzmarek (SPD): Oh, oh, oh!

Yet you can give them only once. That is prioritization, that is the duty of politics. You appear willing to simply not understand it, ladies and gentlemen.

            Wolfgang Strengmann-Kuhn (Greens): You prioritize between people! That is offensive!

            Leni Breymaier (SPD): You are a humanitarian disaster on two legs!

For us of the AfD, the priorites in this area are clearly set: To build more housing, deport those obligated to leave, stop migration and instead make housing space available for our own people and gladly for projects like Housing First.

Allow me in conclusion to direct some words to the Berliners who are voting on Sunday.

            Vice-president Aydan Özoğuz: Yet that must be quickly, please.

Who wants Housing First must vote “Germany First”. For affordable rents, new housing space and a pleasant neighbor, there is on Sunday just one option:

            Vice-president Aydan Özoğuz: Please come to a conclusion.

All votes for the AfD!

I am grateful to you for your attention.

 

[trans: tem]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marc Bernhard, December 1, 2022, Home Ownership

German Bundestag, Plenarprotokoll 20/73, pp. 8602-8603.

Frau President. Ladies and gentlemen.

In Germany, 75 percent of renters dream of their own four walls. Yet only the fewest have succeeded in also realizing this dream; since, according to the ECB, the Germans are the poorest in the euro zone. Thus, the assets of an average Greek family are double as high as that of a German family, in Spain and Italy even four times as high as with us. And in regards the pension level, Germany with just 48 percent is far behind. Spain, for example, has 83 percent, Austria 89 percent and Italy even 91 percent.

We have the world’s highest energy prices, and we have with just 45 percent the lowest rate of home ownership in the EU. Here in Berlin it is even just 15 percent, while in France 64 percent, in Italy 72 percent, in Greece 76 percent, in Czechia 80 percent and in Slovakia even 92 percent live within their own four walls. The European cut thus lies over 70 percent. We thus have not only the highest energy prices, the smallest household assets with the lowest pension level, but also the lowest home ownership rate in the EU.

Now the inflation also devours the rest of the citizens savings. It is therefore now certainly much more important to bring as many people as possible within their own four walls. Since this is the best inflation protection, the best safeguard for elders, and provides in crises like today’s stability and security to people. And therefore we want to make Germany from a land of renters into a land of homeowners.

Yet then why is Germany at all the taillight in the EU’s home ownership rate? The German Bundesbank states in a study that for one thing it lies, in international comparison, in the much too high real property sales taxes [Grunderwerbsteuer]; and for another, that the mortgage interest, unlike as in many other countries, cannot be deducted even for the self-use dwelling. Yet that was once in Germany otherwise, as in the administration of Helmut Kohl, – it is already quite a while – the costs for one’s own home could be deducted from taxes. That then made home ownership possible, despite astronomical rates well over 10 percent.  

We demand in our motion [Drucksache 20/3204] that the real property sales tax be lowered to 3.5 percent throughout Germany, and before all, that the purchase of one’s own first home must be completely free of taxes. That would of course finally eliminate the social injustice that large capital companies pay practically no real property sales tax, while the normal citizen always needs to pay for everything.

In addition, the prices for home ownership need again to become affordable. For that, the construction guidelines and the cost-driving climate guidelines are to be reduced, the contract procedures accelerated and the rural area finally again made more attractive. Since while in the urban centers 2 million affordable dwellings are lacking, 1.7 million dwellings in rural areas stand empty.  

Let us finally do it like our European neighbors and as the German Bundesbank recommends: With one’s own four walls, we attain for the people inflation protection, an old age safeguard, stability and security. Let us finally make Germany from a country of renters into a country of owners! 

 

[trans: tem]