A significant number of federally owned properties, including apartments, remain unused despite a critical shortage of affordable housing across Germany. This situation has been revealed in a response from the Federal Ministry of Finance to a parliamentary inquiry by Caren Lay, a representative of the Left party and reported by the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland media network.
According to the Ministry’s response, the Federal Agency for Real Estate Tasks (Bima) currently holds responsibility for 38,431 properties. Of these, 1,129 are deemed “non-market active” meaning they are not available for rental or sale. Furthermore, 3,725 of the remaining 37,302 apartments are vacant, representing approximately one in ten of those properties.
Over the past decade, the Bima has disposed of 12,000 properties, 8,715 of which were residential units. While 1,100 new apartments were added to the agency’s portfolio during the same period, critics argue the rate of disposal significantly outweighs new construction.
The Left party’s spokesperson for housing policy, Caren Lay, has expressed strong criticism, calling the situation “a disgrace” at a time when affordable housing is scarce. She stated that despite years of policy promises, the Bima seems to be maintaining current practices, characterized by minimal new development and continued sales into the private sector.
Lay is advocating for increased direct investment by the federal government in housing construction. She suggests the development of internal capabilities for construction, maintenance and renovation of federal properties, rather than relying on external contractors for each project.