Social Housing Promotion – Acquisition of Occupancy Rights

The program supports the acquisition of occupancy rights to existing apartments in designated funding areas in Hesse, in order to create affordable housing for households that cannot find suitable accommodation on the open housing market. Eligible applicants are owners and leasehold beneficiaries of rental apartments as well as public institutions and companies. Funding is provided for the purchase of occupancy rights to at least four apartments that are permanently suitable for residential use and equipped with central/floor heating, a bathroom or shower, toilet, and kitchen. The rental and occupancy binding period for the funded apartments is ten years. The funding amount consists of a grant of €2.50 per square meter of eligible living space (vacant apartments) or €1.50 per square meter (after existing bindings expire), plus an additional fee of €0.50 per square meter multiplied by the binding period in months.

A prerequisite for the grant is compliance with specified living space limits (up to 50 m² for one person, 60 m² for two persons, 75 m² for three persons plus 12 m² for each additional person) as well as adherence to rent and occupancy restrictions. Applications are submitted continuously through the responsible housing promotion offices of the municipalities or districts; in cities with 50,000 inhabitants or more, the city council is responsible, otherwise the district committee. To prepare the application, the form “Application for Acquisition of Occupancy Rights,” the Guideline for Acquisition of Occupancy Rights, and information on the municipal housing promotion offices are available. This two-stage process ensures thorough review by the authority and efficient forwarding to the executing bank, to promptly provide financial resources for social rental housing construction.