Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) - According to the state advice center for communal living, there is increasing demand in Hesse for living with a self-selected group of like-minded people. According to estimates by the advice center, there are currently 200 to 250 residential groups in Hesse. The municipalities should promote such forms of housing even more, said the head of the advice center, Birgit Kasper, the German Press Agency.

"We are very convinced that the topic will gain in importance," said Kasper. According to surveys, around 30 percent of the population would like to live together. One reason is the cost: "Housing is becoming more and more expensive. The idea of ​​such projects is that you save money by building yourself and sharing the costs." But many were also looking for more community: "Children and the elderly benefit the most."

The cities should not leave the creation of living space to the market alone, said Kasper. In the so-called concept procedure, municipalities award vacant plots of land specifically to the best concept and not to the highest bidder. "It's a political instrument. The cities have a direct influence on urban development," said Kasper. The cities must designate more such areas, she demanded, and they must inform the citizens better about the possibilities of communal living.