Implementing housing policies for a sufficient lifestyle

Abstract

The German buildings sector is currently facing a double challenge: meeting emission reduction targets and providing affordable housing in rapidly growing cities. Living space per person has a major impact on household energy consumption and it has increased significantly in recent decades. New construction increases the demand for often energy-intensive building materials, and energy demand during the use phase of buildings is positively related to the size of the space. Optimising the allocation of living space therefore offers great potential for addressing both challenges. Sufficiency policies such as flat exchanges, a financial bonus for moving and the provision of moving advice aim to reduce the total floor area in the housing sector by using existing space more efficiently. However, the effectiveness of such measures is not yet fully understood. As the sufficiency approach relies heavily on individual choices, residents’ involvement, perception and acceptance are crucial for the success of such measures. An investigation in selected German housing companies shows that the potential of these measures is not fully exploited under the current political and social framework in Germany. Social acceptance, new norms and business models for landlords are needed for the effective use of these measures. POLICY RELEVANCE How effective is the implementation of sufficiency measures for space utilisation in the German rental housing sector? The success factors and limiting barriers of the measures along with the acceptability and effectiveness of these measures are investigated by interviewing housing companies (some of them social housing providers) that have the potential to implement such policies in their housing stock. Improvements are needed in the social and technical infrastructure to increase the effectiveness of the measures. Raising awareness, rethinking communications and designing effective financial incentives are recommended to make the measures attractive to the public. Involving all stakeholders, keeping the issue on the political agenda and engaging in dialogue with policymakers are considered effective steps in the process of achieving space sufficiency in the housing sector.