Bremen expands social housing eligibility for 12,000 households

The state of Bremen has increased income limits for housing entitlement certificates (Wohnberechtigungsscheine) for the first time in 15 years. According to the construction department, this legislative change, passed by the Bremen State Parliament last year, will grant approximately 12,000 additional households in Bremen and Bremerhaven the right to social housing.

Under the new regulations, the annual income limit for single-person households is set at 20,400 euros, while two-person households are eligible up to 30,600 euros. The construction department aims to keep the number of social housing units stable, currently totaling around 6,000, with over 5,000 located in Bremen.

While the number of certificates issued has remained steady at around 3,900 annually in recent years, officials noted that not all eligible individuals necessarily require subsidized housing. An evaluation report on the impact of these changes is scheduled for mid-2028.