Higher funding opportunities thanks to new renovation guidelines

Presenting the basic refurbishment of the building at Veronikastrasse 23 (from left): Andreas Bittner, Head of the Urban Redevelopment and Socially Integrative City Department; Sebastian Henschel, employee in the Urban Redevelopment and Socially Integrative City Department; Dr. Wolfgang Müller, Head of Justice at the real estate company Van der Horst; City Planning Officer Michael Tacke; Alexander Sorokin, Managing Director of Bau Solution GmbH and Marc Rösner, landlord of Van der Horst Wohnen GmbH

The Van der Horst company presented its model house at Veronikastrasse 23.

What's new: In line with a change to the state funding conditions that came into effect in 2022, the city of Salzgitter has adapted the municipal funding guidelines adopted by the city council for corresponding modernization and repair measures on buildings as well as measures to improve the living environment.

Specifically, this means that since the beginning of 2024, interested owners in the eastern and western estates have been able to receive funding of up to a maximum of 45% of the costs for their planned refurbishment measures.

"This gives owners the opportunity to actively participate in the redevelopment process and benefit from it," emphasized city planning officer Michael Tacke.

At an information event in February of this year, the Urban Redevelopment and Socially Integrative City Department provided information about these new funding opportunities and conditions.

The result: to date, the city of Salzgitter has received 23 applications for funding and five funding agreements have been concluded. In addition to individual owners and homeowners' associations, housing companies based in the area are also interested in refurbishing their properties with funding.

One of the first interested parties was the real estate company Van der Horst. "These are attractive subsidy rates," emphasized legal advisor Dr. Holger Müller. The house at Veronikastrasse 23, which has 310 square meters of living space and is completely empty, is currently undergoing a complete refurbishment, which should be finished in around six weeks. In addition to the renovation of the façade, the refurbishment of all apartments including the renovation of the bathrooms as well as the staircase, cellar and electrics/sanitary facilities, energy-related refurbishment measures are also being carried out to take account of climate protection (including extensive loft insulation).

The building at Veronikastrasse 23 is completely renovated.

The city of Salzgitter is contributing approx. 40,000 euros to the calculated total costs of approx. 100,000 euros (own funds, funds from the state of Lower Saxony, federal funds 1/3 each).

The seven completely renovated apartments are to be rented out immediately afterwards. "We want to create more attractive apartments," emphasized Dr. Müller, who thanked city planning officer Michael Tacke and his team for the good cooperation and the quick signing of the contract for the project.

"We hope to be able to continue the refurbishment roadmap we have started with van der Horst and to arouse the interest of other potential refurbishers. The cooperation of all those involved is important for the success of this urban redevelopment project in the eastern and western estates," said city planning officer Michael Tacke.

It is particularly important that the project is implemented promptly, as the urban development measure expires at the end of 2025. Projects must be applied for by next year at the latest in order to receive the funding. "We are hurrying," said Dr. Holger Müller.

Property owners in the redevelopment area who are considering renovating their buildings can obtain non-binding information about the new funding opportunities.

Information:

Property owners in the redevelopment area who are considering renovating their buildings can obtain non-binding information about the new funding opportunities: Urban Redevelopment and Social City Department of the City of Salzgitter (e-mail: stadtumbaustadt.salzgitterde phone: 05341-839-3474).

The Van der Horst company owns 200 apartments in the Ostsiedlung and 1,638 apartments in the Westsiedlung. According to the company, the vacancy rate there is still around 17 percent. The basic refurbishment at Veronikastrasse 23 concerns a model house, which is to be immediately followed by others on the estate.

Further information East and West Settlement:

In 2004, the city of Salzgitter set out to develop the eastern and western settlements in Salzgitter-Bad into an attractive residential address with the adoption of the redevelopment statutes by the city council on December 15, 2004.

The long-term redevelopment process included an analysis of the neighborhood (preparatory studies) to identify and then eliminate or reduce urban development, structural, technical, infrastructural and social deficits and shortcomings.

Numerous closely interlinked, structural and socially integrative plans and projects have since been realized, which have triggered a positive development of the estate and improved the image of the estate as well as the residents' identification with their neighbourhood.

Four milestones have been created with urban development funds:

Martin-Luther-Platz, the Roxy-Helco playground, the neighborhood park at the Ziesbergschule and "ARCHE 4".

In addition, many other larger and smaller projects were implemented: Examples include the Leo Elli playground, the "NOW-Stadtteiltreff" district meeting place, the Helenenstraße (former Hotel Jost) demolition or - outside of urban development funding - the construction of a new daycare center community facility.

With the NOW district meeting point and ARCHE 4, two important community facilities have been created that play an important role in the further development of the district and are important points of contact for people and the community.

In addition to comprehensive road renovation measures in conjunction with the renovation of the combined sewers, over 40 modernization and repair measures in the private building stock (e.g. renovation of the building façade or roofing) have also increased residents' satisfaction with their homes.

Non-investment projects such as the German course for migrants or the agency for integration and cultural guides have flanked the construction projects and at the same time made a decisive contribution to improving coexistence in the estate and its further positive development.

The municipal "Stadtteilkontor", which was set up in 2018 alongside the neighborhood management, has since then and will continue to act as a bridge between the people working in the community and the new structures to be established, thus taking on important tasks of the neighborhood management, among others.

The implementation period for the urban renewal measure "SZ-Bad/Ost- und Westsiedlung" was extended until December 31, 2025 by resolution of the administrative committee. In addition, the update of the integrated action plan for the years 2021 to 2025 was approved.

Socially Integrative City - Social Cohesion: The East and West Settlement