Photo: © Markus C. Hurek, Berlin, 2025
Germany has a new Federal Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Construction: Verena Hubertz replaces Klara Geywitz in this position. The new woman at the helm raises high hopes, as the construction and property industry urgently needs new impetus.
"The situation cannot be delayed - what matters now is determination and a willingness to engage in dialogue," explains IVD President Dirk Wohltorf.
The new Federal Minister Verena Hubertz (SPD, born 1987) won the direct mandate in the Trier constituency in the 2021 Bundestag election. She studied business administration, completed a semester abroad in the US state of Tennessee and gained her first professional experience at Lebenshilfe-Werke Trier, Vodafone, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Commerzbank. She also co-founded a start-up with over 20 million users and around 60 employees, 60 per cent of which was taken over by Bosch subsidiary BSH Hausgeräte.
In her first speech to the Bundestag in mid-May, the Federal Minister explained what she wants to prioritise in her political work: "Speed, technology and tolerance. (...) You can measure me by these," said the new minister. The diggers should start rolling again. Because housing is the social issue of our time. "Housing must be affordable! For me, that is both an aspiration and a mission. Housing is too expensive, and that is driving us apart as a society. That's why I want us to build more, and I want us to build more affordably and sustainably."
"I don't think that housing is a market like any other. I want housing to be a functioning market where returns are not the only deciding factor, and as Construction Minister I want to ensure that housing remains affordable for everyone, from trainees to pensioners. (...) when we build, we also boost our German economy. The construction industry is the locomotive of our economy. Around twelve per cent of our GDP is invested in construction. (...) we (must) talk about BauGB, about accelerating planning, regional planning and urban development."
Conclusion: That sounds sensible and determined. Let's wait and see where Germany will be in the area of construction and housing in a few years' time.
