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Leipzig tackles housing issues by subsidising renovation of long-unused apartments
Leipzig announced plans to subsidise renovation of apartments that have been vacant for a long time with the aim of tackling housing issues.
Under Lord Mayor of Leipzig Burkhard Jung, the city will provide funding for this purpose to owners and cooperatives in order to better meet the high demand for housing.
At the suggestion of Deputy Mayor of Leipzig for Urban Development and Construction Thomas Dienberg, the city announced plans to issue guidelines on activation of vacant apartments.
He stressed the importance of making full use of the potential of vacant apartments, especially in light of the current situation on the housing market, adding that “new construction can hardly create affordable living spaces.”
City authorities reminded that Leipzig invested roughly EUR 2.9 million since the start of the year in renovation of long-unused apartments, stressing that demand for apartments is still high. Leipzig announced it would invest additional EUR 2.7 million in the programme in the next two years.
According to guidelines, apartments that cannot be rented are to be renovated and placed on the market, with city authorities pointing out that the programme can be used for merging smaller apartments into larger ones.
Owners will receive EUR 17,500 for renovation of single-room apartments and additional 2,000 for each additional room. The apartments will have to be rented and occupied for at least 15 years after the renovation.
(Photo credit: Abenteuer Albanien / Unsplash)
