living - Overpass in more than 50,000 apartments in MV
Housing Shortage is not a topic in many regions of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. On May 15, 2022, more than 51,000 vacant dwellings were recorded in the northeast, over half of which (58.7%) had been vacant for more than a year, according to the State Statistical Office of the state. This meant that 5.5% of the total housing stock was not in use at the time.
Vacancy also along the coast
The highest vacancy rate was in the Landkreis Vorpommern-Greifswald, at 7.0%, followed by the Landkreis Mecklenburgische Seenplatte, with 6.9%. Even in the coastal Landkreis Vorpommern-Rügen, 6.4% of all dwellings were vacant, and the state capital Schwerin reported a vacancy rate of 6.0%. The least vacancy was reported from Rostock, at 2.6%. Nationwide, 4.3% of all dwellings were vacant at the time.
On average, dwellings in Germany are almost twelve square meters larger than in MV, where 82.5 square meters per apartment were determined. Over half a million dwellings in the northeast were rented on May 15, 2022. The average net cold rent per square meter was 5.91 Euro.
The data are results of the Census 2022, formerly known as the Population Census. Statisticians wanted to obtain an up-to-date overview of the housing stock in addition to determining the official population count. Politics, municipalities, science, and the economy use these data as a basis for decisions in housing policy, such as housing subsidies, as it turned out.
Building stock in MV younger than nationwide
Furthermore, the Census revealed that the total housing stock in MV is younger than the national average. "The intensive building activity after reunification led to the fact that 38.6% of the building stock was built after 1990. For Germany, the share of this building year class was only 28.8%," noted the statisticians.
- Despite the housing shortage being a lesser issue in many regions of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a standstill in new construction might exacerbate the situation, as observed in the District of Vorpommern-Rügen.
- As living conditions in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern continue to improve, addressing the housing shortage becomes increasingly crucial, especially in areas with high vacancy rates, such as the District of Vorpommern-Rügen.
- The deadline for submitting housing policy proposals based on the Census 2022 data was approaching, and it was crucial for mobility and living standards, particularly in districts with acute housing shortages, like the District of Vorpommern-Greifswald.
- The statistics from the Census 2022 revealed that the housing shortage in Germany, albeit lower than in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, was still significant, with 4.3% of all dwellings vacant across the country.
- In response to the housing shortage and the high vacancy rates, especially in coastal regions like the District of Vorpommern-Rügen, local authorities have been encouraged to implement comprehensive housing policies as soon as possible, according to political decisions based on Census 2022 data.
