Ingolstadt is a city without any particular focus on developing or providing social and affordable housing. Outside of the typical funding mechanisms available to those willing to develop affordable housing, the city has no real plan. Even without a a solid strategy, the city continues to develop a decent number of affordable units in comparision… Read More Social Housing in the Growth City of Ingolstadt
Berlin is known as a dynamic city with reasonable costs of living compared to other European capitals. Because of this reputation, Berlin’s population over the last decade grew while inflicting new pressures on the increasingly tight housing market. Once a city where a flat could be had for a few hundred euro’s a month is… Read More Social Housing in Berlin: The Sexy City That is No Longer Poor
Anyone who visited Hamburg knows it is a world class city. The city is bustling and the food, entertainment and nightlife are top notch. Like any great city, it is made by the people that live there. A city cannot reach its full potential without a diverse population. Different ages, income levels, races, ethnicities all… Read More Social Housing in Hamburg Part II:
Hamburg growth in the 1980’s was not as strong as other areas of Germany because of structural changes. Since the 90s, the picture has changed. With the unification of Germany, Hamburg made economic strides, especially in international trading and business. Hamburg is also seen as an attractive city independently of its development of knowledge and service centers.… Read More Social Housing In Hamburg Part I
When I graduated college in 2009 my head was full of academic ideas and principles regarding social housing. Five years later, I am in a fellowship with a completely different view on how urban planning and social housing work. Theories are great but the reality of working in a government agency and implementing new programs … Read More What do you mean there is no Definition for Social Housing in Europe?
Wohnberechtigungsschein or B-Schein for short is a tool/license used by Germany to both fund the development of social housing units and to provide a ongoing subsidy. The details are confusing so I will attempt to clarify. Below is an explanation of the B Schein Program. I will use Hannover as the example city and GBH, the… Read More B-Schein- A tool to provide affordable housing in Germany.
Housing Futures 