"Wenn Mieten steigen, stößt norddeutsche Gelassenheit an Grenzen" – Interview mit KiWoG-Geschäftsführer Markus Reutershan

The interview is published by Haufe, a German specialist media group focused on business, law and real estate topics. It is authored by Annika Weyde, a journalist covering housing and urban development. The piece features Markus Reutershan, Managing Director of the Kieler Wohnungsgesellschaft (Kiwog), the municipal housing company of Kiel, Germany. The conversation explores the creation, objectives and recent activities of Kiwog within the broader context of rising rents and housing shortages in northern Germany.

Kiwog was established in September 2019 and began operations in May 2020. Its first major initiative was the “Marthas Insel” project, an inner‑city development delivering roughly 100 subsidised apartments, with the first tenants expected by the end of 2022. Additional new‑build projects are in planning, with construction slated to start later this year, and a second women’s shelter is also scheduled to break ground in 2021.

Projections indicate that Kiel will need about 9 000 affordable units by 2030 to accommodate an estimated 12 000 new residents (a 3‑5 % population increase). Kiwog’s mandate, approved by the city council, is to deliver 1 000 new or refurbished affordable homes over the next ten years, with the ambition to achieve this target ahead of schedule.

Beyond raw numbers, Kiwog emphasises neighbourhood revitalisation, aiming to improve socially vulnerable districts without displacing existing residents. The company collaborates closely with the city administration to stabilise quarters, integrate public land into affordable housing, and act as an “impulse provider” for low‑ and middle‑price segments.

Kiel faces limited developable land, a situation common to many German and European cities. Competition for scarce parcels involves schools, sports facilities and commercial interests. Kiwog positions itself as a public actor capable of allocating municipal land for socially responsible housing, counterbalancing market‑driven price spikes.

Investment in Kiwog is presented as a tool to curb rent inflation, directing public funds toward households with low and medium incomes. While financial returns are considered, the primary performance metric is the ability to maintain affordable rent levels across Kiel.

Around 20 years ago, Kiel sold its predecessor, the Kommunale Wohnungs‑Gesellschaft (KWG), which held roughly 10 000 units, under the belief that a declining population justified the disposal. Subsequent population growth and rising rents revealed this as a strategic error, prompting the creation of Kiwog to fill the resulting vacancy in the affordable housing market.

The city’s housing masterplan, first introduced in 2015 and updated to “Wohnen 2.0” last autumn, directs Kiwog to focus on the lower‑to‑middle‑income segment. The plan underscores collaborative action rather than competition among public housing providers.

Reutershan stresses that Kiwog’s mission is a long‑term endeavour, likening it to a marathon rather than a sprint. The company aims to sustain affordable housing supply, support social stability and contribute to a more resilient, inclusive urban environment across northern Germany and, by extension, the pan‑European housing sector.