Since the Rat decision of 17 March 2022 Cologne allocates land for Geschosswohnungsbau primarily by Erbbaurecht rather than sale, and the subsidy sits in the ground rent. Concept allocation to community housing rests on Grundsatzbeschluss 1775/2016, extended by Vorlage 4107/2023.
- The two-tier Erbbauzins, which is the actual money: an 80-year Erbbaurecht at 1.5 % p.a. of land value for the first 60 years, conditional on delivering ≥30 % geförderten and ≥20 % preisgedämpften Wohnungsbau and letting rents on both rise only moderately for those 60 years, secured in the Grundbuch so tenants can rely on it directly. A project unwilling or unable to take those covenants pays 4 % p.a.
- After year 60: rent rises return to statutory limits. The Erbbauzins itself is re-adjusted only every three years.
- Who has won: genossenschaftliche and gemeinschaftliche projects — Poller Damm, Alpener Straße 4–6 in Ehrenfeld, Am Petershof (Machbarschaft Köln eG).
- Path: tenders come from the Liegenschaftsamt / Wohnungsbauleitstelle and an Empfehlungskommission scores them. The city’s Büro für gemeinschaftliche Wohnbauprojekte (wohnungsbauleitstelle@stadt-koeln.de) is the internal advocate; external advice is koeln-mitstadtzentrale. The geförderte share draws nrw-wohnraumfoerderung-mietwohnraum.
Open questions (not facts): Cologne publishes no fixed share of city land reserved for Baugemeinschaften or Genossenschaften. “Kölner Modell” has no verified official meaning in Cologne land policy and should not be treated as an instrument.
Related
- erbbaurecht — how the 1.5 % / 4 % structure works legally
- konzeptvergabe — the allocation instrument
- koeln-mitstadtzentrale — the city-funded advice point
- nrw-wohnraumfoerderung-mietwohnraum — the state money for the 30 % share
- belegungsbindung — the covenant that buys the reduced rate
- eg-cooperative — the form of the projects that have won