Rising rental costs in Frankfurt have been a problem for several years. Therefore, since 2014, 30 percent subsidized housing has been required for the construction of larger residential projects. These 30 percent of the apartments are then to be given to qualified tenants at a reduced price.
The resolution of the City of Frankfurt on this was made by the city council on residential building land development (“M9” from January 17, 2014). A quota of 30 percent of the gross floor area is set for the subsidized housing construction.
The goals here were:
- at least 15 percent of the space is available as part of the “Frankfurt Program for Social Rental Housing Promotion” (in German: “Frankfurter Programm zur sozialen Mietwohnungsbauförderung”),
- 15 percent of the space is part of the “Frankfurt program for family and senior-friendly rental housing construction” (in German: “Frankfurter Programm für familien- und seniorengerechten Mietwohnungsbau”) or otherwise
- space is made available to a small extent under the funding scheme “Frankfurt Program for the Promotion of Housing for Students” – in German: “Frankfurter Programm zur Förderung von Wohnraum für Studierende”.
This approach has been agreed through urban development contracts. The decision of the city council took place during the tenure of the Head of Planning Olaf Cunitz (Green Party).
In the meantime, this planning practice has been tightened further, for example through the building land decision (in German: “Baulandbeschluss”). The subsidized living space should always be created where it is actually being built and no longer on replacement areas elsewhere, as was previously the case. As a result, even in prestigious projects such as FOUR Frankfurt, subsidized apartments are being built in new skyscrapers.
