Housing assistance is intended to help you secure adequate, family-friendly housing. You can receive housing assistance as

• a rent subsidy for tenants or subtenants of residential units, or for residents of a residential facility (residents as defined by the respective state law; this also includes people with disabilities who are admitted—not merely on a temporary basis—to special housing arrangements for the purpose of receiving integration assistance) or as a
• a mortgage subsidy for owners of a single-family home or a condominium

.

If your housing costs are covered by another social benefits provider, you are not eligible for housing assistance. This is the case if you are already receiving

• citizen’s income or
• basic income support for the elderly, or
• for reduced earning capacity, or
• subsistence assistance, or
• any other transfer payment in which housing costs have been factored into the calculation.

As an applicant, you must be eligible for housing assistance. You are eligible for a rental subsidy if you are:

• Tenants of residential property,
• subtenants of residential property,
• residents of a cooperative or retirement home,
• residents of a residential care facility,
• persons with rights of use similar to a lease, in particular holders of a permanent right of residence similar to a lease,
• Owners of a multi-family residence (three or more units), a commercial building, or a business premises, if you live in that building,
• Owners of a single-family or two-family home in which you reside, but which also contains business premises to such an extent that it can no longer be considered a primary residence,
• Owners of a full-time agricultural holding whose residential portion is not separated from the business portion.
• Women living in women’s shelters, even if the fee is calculated on a daily basis.
• A person who has been placed by the homeless services agency in homeless shelters or in third-party housing, even if the usage fee (which is not calculated, for example, based on the number of days or graded according to the number of adults and children) is paid to the homeless services agency,

You are eligible for a housing cost subsidy as:

• Owners of a single-family home or a condominium,
• Owners of a small housing development,
• Owners of a part-time agricultural operation,
• Owners of a full-time agricultural operation, provided that the residential and business sections are separate and a housing cost subsidy calculation can be prepared for the residential section,
• Holders of a permanent right of residence equivalent to ownership,
• Holders of a leasehold interest and those who are entitled to the transfer of ownership of the building or apartment, or to the transfer or grant of the leasehold interest.

The occupant of the dwelling must reside in the dwelling and bear the associated costs.

The following guidelines apply:

To prevent or detect the unlawful receipt of housing assistance, the housing assistance authority may regularly verify the information provided by all household members by cross-checking data—including through automated means—in particular with the pension insurance data center.

For example, a comparison may be made to determine

• whether Bürgergeld (formerly Unemployment Benefit II) is being paid while housing allowance is being received,
• whether the individual is engaged in employment subject to social insurance contributions or in marginal employment,
• or the amount of investment income for which an exemption order has been issued.

It is also possible to cross-check with the registration office regarding registered addresses, housing status, and the timing of address changes. Additionally, the Federal Central Tax Office may be consulted regarding bank accounts. Suspected cases of fraud are generally reported to the public prosecutor’s office.

Through these checks, the housing allowance authority can determine, for example,

• whether housing benefits are being received multiple times,
• whether transfer payments that would lead to disqualification from housing assistance are being received at the same time,
• whether the information provided in the housing allowance application
  • regarding income from employment,
  • income from one or more pensions,
  • income from capital gains (interest or dividends),
• whether, in the case of initial unemployment, unemployment benefits were discontinued (for example, due to taking on new employment), and
• whether the original residence for which housing assistance was provided is still actually being used.

The review may be conducted up to ten years after notification of the relevant housing allowance approval.

• Appeal

For more information on how to file an appeal, please refer to the notice regarding your application for housing assistance.

You must submit your application by the last day of the month from which you wish to claim housing benefit. As a rule, you will receive housing benefit from the first day of the month in which your application was submitted to the housing benefit office.

The processing time depends, among other things, on whether we have received all the necessary documents and information in full. We will endeavor to process your request as quickly as possible. However, in many cases there will be delays. You will not be charged for longer processing times.

Due to the large number of applications we have to process, we are unfortunately unable to provide any information on the receipt or status of an application.

In principle, you must provide the following evidence of living costs or financial burden:

• Transfer payments (e.g., cost-of-living assistance, social security benefits, basic income support in old age and in the event of reduced earning capacity, benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act)
• Income statement for the housing allowance application
• Tax assessment notice as proof of increased income-related expenses
• Current notices regarding pension payments of any kind
• on benefits under the Third Book of the Social Code - Employment Promotion (e.g., unemployment benefit I, short-time work allowance, transitional allowance)
• Proof of sick pay and other wage replacement benefits
• Latest tax assessment notice (for self-employed persons/traders)

To be on the safe side, please state all income of all household members in cash or cash value. Do not take into account the source of the income or whether the income is taxable or not. This will avoid unnecessary queries. The housing allowance office will then check which of the incomes are eligible. If necessary, other evidence must be enclosed:

• Certificate of enrollment (students)
• BAföG notification (students)
• Declaration of monthly allowances from parents during studies
• Proof of health insurance
• Proof of pension or life insurance
• Appendix to the application for housing allowance for expenses incurred in fulfilling statutory maintenance obligations
• Severe disability card (if applicable, proof of care allowance payments)
• Foreign nationals from third countries must provide proof of their residence status and the duration of their stay.
• Other EU citizens must submit a certificate of right of residence/EU residence permit and proof of registration with the registration authorities.

To apply for a rent subsidy, you will also need the following form:

• Landlord's certificate (usually provided by the housing benefit authorities).

To apply for a cost subsidy, you will also need the following forms/proof:

• Form for determining the burden of debt servicing
• Proof of the burden from debt servicing (certificate of external funds, last payment receipt, interest and repayment plan if applicable)
• Proof of the purchase price or construction costs (including for modernization work)
• Property tax assessment/proof of the amount of ground rent
• If applicable, proof of income from the transfer of rooms and space to third parties
• Living space calculation in accordance with DIN 277 or the Living Space Ordinance (WoFlV, building application)
• If applicable, notice of the child allowance for home buyers
• Proof of ownership, land register extract, purchase agreement