Housing policy and development in Berlin and Potsdam

In Berlin, the Pankow district council approved a “Wohnen im Alter” (housing for the elderly) proposal. This initiative focuses on barrier-free apartments, age-appropriate adaptations to existing housing, and easier housing swaps to help seniors remain in their neighborhoods. Concurrently, the German Left party (Die Linke) has called for the right to housing to be enshrined in the German constitution, arguing that housing is a human right and warning against speculative ownership.

Residential development is also expanding in the Berlin and Potsdam regions. In Berlin, the STADT UND LAND Wohnbauten-Gesellschaft mbH is adding 366 rental apartments across Spandau, Lichtenberg, and Friedrichshain, with the majority designated as publicly subsidized housing. In Potsdam, the Hasso-Plattner-Stiftung is investing in 107 new apartments at Brauhausberg. However, this project has faced criticism from the Potsdam Left party regarding rental costs, which are approximately 25 euros per square meter, amid an ongoing housing shortage.