Cabinet adopts position acting on a proposal from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB)
The Federal Government supports the initiative taken by the Länder to amend building planning law so as to facilitate better accommodation of refugees. Following a proposal put forward by Federal Building Minister Barbara Hendricks, the Federal Cabinet today adopted a position endorsing a Bundesrat initiative. "The growing number of refugees from the world's many troubled regions poses major challenges for the Länder, and in particular for municipalities with a tight housing market. It is our duty to help", Hendricks stressed when presenting the proposal. By amending the Federal Building Code, the Federal Government and the Länder want to ensure that municipalities can respond more quickly and effectively to the influx of refugees and provide the necessary accommodation.
Hendricks assured the Länder and municipalities that they could count on support at federal level: "The Federal Government supports the decision of the Bundesrat to amend the Federal Building Code in order to pave the way for the construction or conversion of buildings to accommodate refugees. We are launching provisions that allow municipalities to provide housing for refugees quickly and easily."
In future it will also be possible to have refugee shelters in the built-up areas of cities and towns, even if they do not blend in with their immediate surroundings. Office or commercial buildings for instance could be converted to accommodate refugees. The legislative amendments also allow for refugee shelters to be located in the immediate vicinity of built-up areas. Under certain conditions, these can also be in industrial zones. These provisions will only be valid for a limited period of time.
The Federal Government's position will now be submitted to the Bundestag. The legislative procedure is planned to be completed by the end of this year.