These new measures are a sign that the federal government is playing an even more active role in finding accommodation for refugees. It does not, however, alter the fact that essentially it is the federal states that are responsible for the shelters.

Places for more refugees

At the end of September the federal and state governments agreed on extensive measures, including the pledge of the federal government to put federal real estate at the disposal of the individual federal states, rent-free. This is to apply in particular to reception and waiting centres.

So far almost 115,000 places have been provided in real estate managed by the Institute for Federal Real Estate. They include about 32,000 places that have been returned by the Bundeswehr or released for shared use.

Search for more accommodation

The Bundeswehr is currently ascertaining whether or not it is able to offer the federal states more real estate that could be available at short notice. It is important that the building are suitable for use as refugee shelters. Firstly, suitable buildings are identified, inspected, and adapted at the expense of the federal government. Work is progressing at top speed on this.

The Chancellor and the state premiers agreed on a package of asylum and refugee policy measures on 24 September 2015. As a result the federal government will bear a large percentage of the costs.

Reviving social housing construction

The federal government will increase the compensation funds allocated to the federal states over the period 2016–2019 by 500 million euros per annum. These funds are to be earmarked specifically for the construction of social housing. The federal and state governments agreed on this.

The Chancellor is in regular dialogue with the associations of local authorities. On Thursday 5 November she will meet with the state premiers of the 16 federal states, to discuss the current situation with respect to asylum and refugee policy.

Programme for the construction of refugee shelters

The local authorities will continue to receive support to help them provide accommodation for refugees. To this end the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) has launched a programme worth one billion euros in total to support the construction, conversion, purchase, modernisation and fitting out of refugee shelters.

Until further notice an interest rate of zero per cent will be charged, and this will be frozen for a period of ten years. Loans will be able to help some 500 local authorities to create about 100,000 places for refugees.