Berlin accelerates housing supply with office conversions and ambitious construction targets

A new study commissioned by the Berlin Sparkasse shows that residents now favour converting vacant office buildings into apartments as the primary way to expand housing, while also looking to build more homes in the suburbs outside the S‑Bahn ring. Officials note that although conversion enjoys the strongest public support, it faces high costs, technical challenges and may raise rents.

The Berlin Senate’s housing commission, created in 2022, says it has already sped up 19,760 apartments and aims to deliver up to 80,000 new units by the end of 2026, matching the coalition’s goal of 20,000 homes per year. Mayor Kai Wegner highlighted new “faster‑building” laws as a catalyst, while opposition parties argue that supply still falls short of demand and rents remain unaffordable.