The topics examined by the Committee on Housing, Urban Development, Building and Local Government have been a focus of public interest for years. The challenges in the fields of building and housing vary considerably – while some municipalities struggle with shrinking populations and vacant properties, the focus in densely populated areas is on creating new and, above all, affordable housing. The 34 members of the Committee discuss how new land for development can be brought forward, and how to achieve targeted infill development. The various instruments to support home ownership are also discussed, such as support for saving for building purposes, building-related child benefit and the programmes run by Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW). Another area of interest is the federal urban development assistance programmes, for example in response to demographic and economic changes, to improve the situation in disadvantaged areas or ensure vibrant inner cities. A particular priority for the Committee are towns and communities in Germany, which have important roles. Topics here include the funding of the municipalities and the strengthening of municipal self-administration with regards to digitalisation, changing mobility or the rural-urban divide in population development.
