Munich

1. Underground River: Beneath the city of Munich flows the Isar River, but there is also a hidden underground river known as the "Munich River." This subterranean waterway runs through the city, largely unnoticed by residents and tourists alike. 2. World's Largest Beer Garden: While many people know about the famous Hofbräuhaus, few realize that Munich is home to the world's largest beer garden, the Chinesischer Turm in the Englischer Garten, which can accommodate around 7,000 guests. 3. Historic Bomb Shelters: During World War II, Munich constructed a series of bomb shelters, some of which are still accessible today. These shelters are a testament to the city's resilience and history, and guided tours occasionally reveal their fascinating stories to the public.

Munich’s housing market remains Germany’s most expensive, driven by high demand, limited supply, and a growing population. Around 75 percent of Munich’s residents rent their homes, while roughly 25 percent are homeowners—reflecting trends seen nation-wide where Germany has one of Europe’s lowest homeownership rates. As of early 2025, median purchase prices for apartments in Munich center exceed €10,000 per square meter, with peripheral districts ranging from €6,500 to €7,500 per square meter. Median rental prices for apartments are among the highest in the country, with typical rates reported around €22 to €25 per square meter monthly for centrally located properties, depending on exact location and apartment quality. Publicly owned housing, managed primarily by the city’s housing companies such as GWG München and GEWOFAG, plays a stabilizing role in the market. This segment comprises about 8 to 10 percent of Munich’s total housing stock and focuses on providing affordable options amid rising private sector rents. In Munich, public housing is closely aligned with the concept of social housing, though not all public housing units are income-restricted; some serve broader affordability and city planning goals, while social housing specifically targets low-income residents. Persistently low rental vacancy rates and slow new construction continue to push prices upward, highlighting the need for expanded public and social housing initiatives.

Munich is facing a severe housing crisis characterized by an extreme supply-demand imbalance, record-low vacancy rates, and persistent shortfalls in new construction. The city’s rental vacancy rate is just 0.2%, the lowest in Germany, and demand continues to outpace supply annually. In 2024, only about 6,500 new apartments were completed in Munich—a 30 percent drop from the previous year—while at least 10,000 new units per year would be needed to keep up with population growth and smaller household sizes. Despite a brief uptick in construction activity in 2023, the overall trend shows new building permits and completions falling well short of requirements. Rising building costs, increased bureaucracy, and higher interest rates compound the shortage, making it harder for both developers and would-be homeowners or renters to access the market. Munich’s population is expected to reach 1.8 million by 2040, intensifying the strain. The groups most severely affected by the crisis include low-income earners, students, pensioners, single-person households, and minority communities—such as those with Turkish, Arabic, or African backgrounds—who also face discrimination when seeking housing. Young adults, particularly first-time renters, and families with children encounter escalating barriers to affordable and adequate housing. The result is widespread social exclusion and mounting pressure on those with limited resources or less negotiating power in the city’s fiercely competitive housing market.

Munich’s city administration addresses affordable and sustainable housing through a combination of ambitious construction targets, strengthened public housing provision, innovative planning regulations, and climate-oriented building standards. The current municipal strategy is anchored in the “Wohnen in München” (Living in Munich) program, now in its seventh phase, which coordinates city actions and funding for affordable and sustainable homes. Recent targets called for the construction of around 8,500 new housing units per year, with public and subsidized housing as a significant focus, although actual completions have fallen short. Key activities and programs include: - Ongoing support for city-owned housing providers (GEWOFAG, GWG), who build and manage affordable units primarily for lower- and middle-income households, with recent targets set at 1,250 new units annually via these entities. - The “Wohnen in München” funding program, which channels hundreds of millions of euros into subsidized developments, tenant protections, and renovation of existing stock with sustainability and energy efficiency upgrades. - The SoBoN (socially just land use) policy, which requires developers to provide a share of affordable and social housing in new projects through public-private cooperation. - The Freiham development, a new district creating 11,000 homes—many affordable—to ease pressure and demonstrate sustainable urban growth. - Adoption of green building standards in all new city-led housing, including climate-neutral requirements and incentives for energy-saving renovations. Munich’s administration is also experimenting with polycentric urban planning and EU partnerships to integrate sustainable infrastructure and mobility with affordable housing supply.

Housing cooperatives hold a significant but still relatively modest share of Munich’s housing market. As of 2023, housing cooperatives and building groups accounted for about 316 new housing completions out of nearly 9,837 total new units, consistent with a long-term pattern where cooperative housing represents between 6 and 8 percent of all dwellings in the city. While the number of new completions for cooperatives has fluctuated, their overall share has remained fairly stable amid high construction costs and a challenging regulatory environment. Munich’s policy framework actively promotes cooperative housing as part of a broader affordable housing strategy. Key tools include the “Wohnen in München VII” program, which earmarks substantial financial resources to subsidize cooperative projects and shields them from speculative market forces. The city allocates public land to cooperatives through concept-based tendering, emphasizing social and ecological sustainability criteria. Cooperative developers qualify for targeted subsidies, access to discounted land, and tailored support under the city’s “Konzeptioneller Mietwohnungsbau” (Conceptual Rental Housing Construction) and the “SoBoN” (socially just land use) policy. Recent dynamics show that rising construction costs and declining building permits pose challenges, but the city continues to see cooperatives as essential for urban stability and social mix. Additional municipal funds act as inflation compensation to keep cooperative projects viable and promote new starts, despite market headwinds. Munich’s approach positions cooperative housing as a strategic pillar for affordable, community-oriented living.