Wiesbaden (dpa/lhe) – The Hessian City Council sees the proper and timely implementation of the housing benefit reform planned for January 1st in jeopardy. “In view of the significantly increasing number of housing benefit recipients, enormous increases in applications are to be expected,” warned city council president Heiko Wingenfeld after a presidium meeting on Thursday. The federal government does not make the corresponding digital application procedures available in good time, nor does it fully assume the resulting personnel costs. “The cities expect the Hessian state government to consistently represent the interests of the municipalities in the Bundesrat,” said Wingenfeld.
The Bundestag launched the reform two weeks ago. According to this, the housing allowance is to be increased by an average of 190 euros per month from January. Two million households could benefit from the new housing benefit, 1.4 million more than before. The housing benefit is a state subsidy for rent for households that do not receive social benefits but still have little money. The Federal Council still has to approve the reform at the end of November.
