Housing assistance is intended to enable you to live in adequate, family-friendly housing. You may apply for continued payment of housing assistance no later than one month after the end of the approval period, in the same manner as in your initial application, as

• a rent subsidy for tenants or subtenants of residential units or for residents of a residential facility (residents of a residential facility as defined by the respective state law; this also includes people with disabilities who are admitted—not merely on a temporary basis—to receive integration assistance in special housing arrangements) or as
• 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 old-age security, or
• for reduced earning capacity, or
• subsistence assistance, or
• any other transfer payment in which housing costs have been factored into the calculation.

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

• Tenants of residential housing
• Subtenants of residential property
• Residents of a cooperative or retirement home
• Residents of a residential facility (as defined by the respective state law; this also includes people with disabilities who are not merely temporarily housed in special living arrangements for the purpose of receiving integration assistance)
• Persons with a right 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 apartments), 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 operation 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 referred by the homeless services agency to a homeless shelter or to housing provided by a third party, even if the usage fee (which is not, for example, calculated 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 allowance 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.

• It is best to contact the appropriate office in advance to find out what documents you need to provide.
• You can submit your application for continued benefits in writing using the designated form or through the online service. You can mail the form to the housing benefit office responsible for your case or submit it in person.
• The agency will review your application for continued benefits and send you a decision notice.
• If your application is approved, housing assistance is generally granted for another twelve months and, if your income remains relatively stable, may be extended for up to 24 months.

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 citizen’s income (formerly Unemployment Benefit II) is being paid while housing allowance is being received,
• whether the recipient 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 authority regarding registered addresses, housing status, and the timing of address changes. Additionally, the housing allowance authority may request account information from the Federal Central Tax Office. 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 claimed multiple times,
• whether transfer payments that would lead to exclusion 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.

As a rule, housing benefit is paid from the first day of the month (after the end of the previous approval period) if an application for continued payment has been submitted to the housing benefit office within one month of the end of the approval period at the latest.

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