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Baden-Württemberg's Minister of Housing, Nicole Razavi, expects additional dormitory spaces for young people in the coming years. The CDU politician told the German Press Agency in Stuttgart that they are in concrete talks with 20 interested parties about the construction of additional accommodations. "Behind this are 800 dormitory places." The federal government provides the state with €32.5 million annually through the "Young Living" funding program.
The money is intended for the construction of dormitory places and the modernization of existing facilities. "I expect that the first construction projects can start in 2025 and that the first apartments or rooms can be occupied by trainees a year later."
The state wants to retain young people
For the first funding call, there were 74 expressions of interest, as the CDU politician reported. Among them were also many municipal housing construction companies. "In total, this could create an additional 3,300 dormitory places if all interested parties implement their projects." The young people who are currently in training or will start in the next few years are the skilled workers of tomorrow. "For young people, it is particularly difficult to find affordable housing in urban areas." The total number of dormitory places in the southwest is not known.
The chairman of the SPD state parliament faction, Andreas Stoch, explained that without affordable housing, the state risks losing young people. "The housing shortage must be urgently addressed," said Stoch in a statement. "That's why we demand that every euro that comes from federal funds is matched by a euro from the state's pocket!"
Training home in Heidelberg as a model project
Currently, there are mainly dormitory places at the locations of state vocational schools in the state, where trainees can find affordable accommodation for the duration of their visit to the vocational school. However, places that offer accommodation for the entire duration of training are rather rare. According to a survey by the Baden-Württemberg Chamber of Industry and Commerce on vocational training and further education, a fifth of companies in urban areas and university cities see the housing situation as a hindrance to recruiting trainees. In cities like Freiburg, this is even 43 percent.
Freiburg already launched a pilot project
Freiburg announced as early as spring that it would invest €24 million in a new dormitory for trainees. The project with 89 apartments is aimed at employers who want to accommodate their trainees. According to statements by Mayor Martin Haag in the "Badische Zeitung" at the time, this dormitory is also a "absolute model project" on a regional level.
DGB regional vice-chair Maren Diebel-Ebers said: "You have to search for dormitories for trainees in Baden-Württemberg with a magnifying glass." A positive exception is the training home in Heidelberg. There, employers rent rooms for their trainees, who pay a moderate rent. The training home has model character. "We need more of these quickly. The demand for affordable housing for trainees is high. We hear this from both trainees and employers." They expect the state government to finally launch a funding guideline for the federal program. Other federal states have already done so.
The state government is in discussions with 20 interested parties, including several municipal housing construction companies, to construct additional dormitories, providing an anticipated 800 new living spaces for young people. To address the housing shortage, Andreas Stoch, the chairman of the SPD state parliament faction, urges the state to match every euro from federal funds with an equal contribution.
