Housing report 2024 is available

Erlangen remains a sought-after place to live. As of December 31, 2023, 119,676 people lived here. Since 2018, the number has risen by 5.2 percent - significantly more than in Nuremberg or Fürth. At the same time, this sustained growth poses major challenges for the housing market.

Housing construction despite difficult situation

In 2023, there were 67,095 apartments in Erlangen. That is around three percent more than in 2018. An average of 518 new apartments were built each year over the past decade. However, inflation, high interest rates, rising material costs and a shortage of skilled workers are slowing down new construction. Only 283 apartments were completed in 2023. In 2022, 476 apartments were completed and 283 in 2023.

Subsidized housing remains important

Despite difficult conditions, the stock of subsidized rental apartments has remained stable. After a temporary decline in 2022 due to expiring commitments, the number rose again slightly in 2023 due to new construction. Subsidized housing is declining nationwide, but Erlangen is counteracting this. Since 2014, new construction areas with 24 apartments or more have had to include a proportion of subsidized multi-storey apartments. A uniform quota of 30 percent now applies to projects with 12 or more residential units.

However, the increase is not sufficient to meet demand. At the end of 2023, 1,542 households were registered as looking for a home. Families with many members in particular are finding it difficult to find a suitable apartment. Over 3,000 applications for a subsidized rental apartment were received in 2023. Just under 30 percent of households were placed.

In this context, Lord Mayor Florian Janik appeals to the Free State of Bavaria to continue to provide municipalities with sufficient funding: "The basic need for housing must be met locally. The loss of funding will slow down ongoing projects, squander trust and ultimately jeopardize social cohesion."

High prices are slowing down the market

The high land and property prices are having a major impact. Between 2013 and 2022, prices for building land more than doubled. They have been falling slightly since 2022.

New and affordable living space remains important. The city is using every opportunity to activate land and further develop the existing stock. In particular, redensification and adding storeys are crucial. Efforts in housing construction have been massively increased since 2014 and significant successes have been achieved. The municipal housing association GEWOBAU has renovated numerous buildings to make them more energy-efficient by implementing the "Energiesprong principle" and created new apartments by adding storeys.

New neighborhoods in planning

The relocation of Siemens AG has created space for a mixed-use quarter in the city center. Around 2,000 apartments are planned on the Siemens Campus. In Regnitzstadt, to the west of the city center, a lively quarter with

• around 330 apartments
• commercial
• an educational facility and
• a mobility hub

is to be created.

In addition to large-scale projects, the city is also focusing on redensification. This includes a building land register, the use of brownfield sites and the reuse of single-storey buildings. An urban development process is to develop further perspectives for new living space.

Lord Mayor Florian Janik emphasizes: "We have made significant progress in recent years in terms of subsidized housing and the development of new districts. At the same time, it is clear that housing remains the social issue of our time. The high demand and still very high prices present us with major challenges. We will continue to do everything we can to create housing that remains affordable for all income groups."

Planning and Construction Officer Harald Lang adds: "The figures show that our strategies are having an impact. Nevertheless, we still have a lot of work ahead of us. In addition to the major development projects, we also need more redensification and must use the space we have more efficiently. This is the only way we can come close to meeting demand."

Click here for the 2024 housing report

There is also a report in the city newspaper "Rathausplatz 1" - August 2025 issue.