Growing number of senior homes relying on housing assistance for payments - Growing proportion of retired households benefiting from housing subsidies
In 2023, the Housing Allowance Reform, known as "Wohngeld Plus," took effect in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, leading to a notable rise in senior households receiving this crucial support.
The reform, aimed at improving senior affordability in housing, has expanded eligibility criteria, increased recognition of rising housing costs, targeted support for vulnerable groups, and responded to demographic shifts. As a result, the proportion of senior households among housing allowance recipients increased from around 65% to 67%.
Prior to the reform, in 2022, senior households made up around 64% of all housing allowance recipients in Saxony-Anhalt, with approximately 25,000 households receiving the allowance. By the end of 2023, this number had more than doubled to over 46,000 households.
The State Statistical Office of Saxony-Anhalt reported that the number of senior households receiving housing allowance increased from 29,525 in 2023 to 30,355 by the end of 2024, marking a significant growth in this demographic's access to the support. The total number of households receiving housing allowance in Saxony-Anhalt increased to 46,550 by the end of 2024, a 195-household increase from the previous year (0.4% more).
The Housing Allowance, designed to help households with low income afford appropriate and family-friendly housing, is calculated based on income, rent, and the number of household members. The reform's impact on the absolute number of senior recipients in Saxony-Anhalt can be attributed to these factors, although specific details about the "Wohngeld Plus" reform and its effects in Saxony-Anhalt are not explicitly detailed in the provided search results.
For more targeted insights, consulting regional government reports or social services publications would provide a deeper understanding of the "Wohngeld Plus" reform and its effects on senior households in Saxony-Anhalt.
- To address the rising cost of living among the aging population, community policies have been revised in Saxony-Anhalt, focusing on expanding vocational training opportunities in health-and-wellness and wealth-management, alongside personal-finance education.
- In an effort to accommodate the increasing number of senior households receiving housing allowance, the state government has pledged to invest in science, engineering, and technology programs aimed at modernizing infrastructure and reducing maintenance costs for affordable housing units.
- Simultaneously, the federal budget in Saxony-Anhalt has allocated funding for the development of vocational training centers specializing in trades that cater to home-repairs and renovation, enabling seniors to maintain their homes while empowering them with skills to earn income through self-employment and contribute to their wealth management.
