The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Habeck cancels important KfW program for home builders - associations appalled

2022-01-25T08:22:02.346Z


Habeck cancels important KfW program for home builders - associations appalled Created: 01/25/2022, 09:07 Climate Minister Habeck has prematurely stopped federal funding for energy-efficient buildings. © Kay Nietfeld/dpa Completely surprisingly, climate minister Habeck prematurely stopped federal funding for energy-efficient buildings. His State Secretary Patrick Graichen blames the previous go


Habeck cancels important KfW program for home builders - associations appalled

Created: 01/25/2022, 09:07

Climate Minister Habeck has prematurely stopped federal funding for energy-efficient buildings.

© Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Completely surprisingly, climate minister Habeck prematurely stopped federal funding for energy-efficient buildings.

His State Secretary Patrick Graichen blames the previous government.

Berlin – Climate Minister Robert Habeck is now stopping the promotion of so-called efficiency houses and energy-related refurbishment*.

The flood of applications in January, especially for the construction of houses according to Standard 55, significantly exceeded the funds provided by the state-owned KfW Bank, his ministry announced on Monday in Berlin.

"In view of the provisional budget management, KfW had to stop the program today with immediate effect." The Efficiency House 55 subsidy (EH55) for new buildings will not be resumed either, it would have expired at the end of the month anyway.

Funding freeze for energy-efficient buildings: associations appalled

The housing and real estate industry reacted with horror to the freeze on subsidies for buildings with low energy consumption ordered by Climate Minister Robert Habeck*.

As a result, around 300,000 apartments in Germany could not be built or modernized as planned, the GdW central association of the housing industry said on Monday.

The federal government could "halve" its construction target of 400,000 apartments per year, said GdW President Axel Gedaschko.

Habeck's ministry justified the immediate stop with a flood of applications since November with a volume of 20 billion euros.

Of this, 14 billion euros went to the promotion of efficiency houses with the energy standard 55, which from the point of view of the ministry no longer need promotion because they have long been standard for new buildings.

According to Federal Building Minister Klara Geywitz, the funding freeze does not mean the end of all funding measures.

"The short-term stop of the KfW programs is regrettable," the SPD politician told Reuters.

"The responsible departments will quickly relaunch the funding for renovation and new construction together." As Minister, she has a particular focus on social housing.

"The promotion of social housing will be designed in such a way that the goal of 100,000 social housing is achieved."

BFW President: "Dream of owning a home burst"

"Innovative and climate-friendly construction projects are now being stopped everywhere in the country," said the Federal Association of Independent Real Estate and Housing Companies (BFW).

Project developers and builders had relied on the fact that the application deadline for the Efficiency House 55 subsidy would not expire until next week.

There was no talk of an end to the other funding programs.

"Financing is collapsing," said BFW President Andreas Ibel.

"Not only for our companies, but especially for small home builders, whose dream of owning their own home is now bursting."

Habeck's climate state secretary Patrick Graichen blamed the previous government for the stop.

Their announcement at the beginning of November that they would stop the Efficiency House 55 program, but still allow applications until the end of January 2022, "then led to this flood of applications unprecedented in the history of KfW".

Graichen added on Twitter: "It is clear that the KfW program for energy-related renovation should be resumed as soon as possible." However, this should not apply to efficiency houses 55, which would instead be declared the new building standard and would no longer receive funding.

The federal government left in the dark those building and house builders whose applications for funding had not yet been approved.

“It has to be decided exactly how we will deal with the applications that have not yet been decided and how the EH40 new construction program should continue,” explained Graichen.

He pointed out that the funds were limited and that funding was also needed in other areas: "Because the energy and climate fund is finite, and there is also a high need for funds for climate protection in transport and industry*." 

(rtr)

*Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-01-25

You may like

Trends 24h

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.