The Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB) has legislative competence for housing benefit law within the Federal Government. Therefore, with a view to the purpose of the housing benefit, the BMWSB must ensure on an ongoing basis and thus also in the future that the target is achieved with regard to the desired relief effect of the social benefit. On January 1, 2023, the largest housing benefit reform since the existence of housing benefit came into force. As a result of the "Housing Benefit Plus" reform, significantly more households are entitled to housing benefit for the first time or again, and housing benefit amounts have been significantly increased. A climate component was introduced to mitigate the burdens resulting from energy-efficient renovations and a heating cost component to dampen the burden in view of increased energy prices. Even after this reform, the task of improving the concept of housing benefit and further developing housing benefit law accordingly continues to exist for the BMWSB. Against the background of changing conditions (e.g. changed conditions on the housing markets), the housing benefit is intended to ensure that appropriate and family-friendly housing is also economically secure in the future. In addition, it is necessary to assess legal changes in adjacent social security systems with regard to the impact on expenditure and the number of recipients of housing benefit. Examples of this include the adjustment of the standard requirements in the citizen's allowance (SGB II / SGB XII) or adjustments in the area of priority benefits (e.g. child allowance or maintenance advance). In addition, on 1 January 2025, the housing benefit will be adjusted to the development of the general rent level and consumer prices as part of the dynamisation. For the evaluation of these measures, an appropriate scientific and empirical foundation is required, which is to be covered by this project. The research results are thus a central basis for information and decision-making for the federal government.

A central component of the research project are structural analyses, conceptual proposals and microsimulation analyses based on them in order to support the BMWSB in the conceptual further development of housing benefit. In addition, an assessment of the costs and effects of the dynamisation of housing benefit and, if necessary, further future adaptation measures in the housing benefit system is required. Aspects to be analysed are, for example, the relief effect of housing benefit on housing costs, differences according to household types or regional rent levels. In the event of legal changes in housing benefit or related social security systems, the effect on the number of recipients, the amount of housing benefit and housing benefit expenditure must be quantified in particular.

For the project, the contractor is expected to make independent conceptual proposals for the further development of the housing benefit, which will be discussed with the client, the BMWSB and, if necessary, other participants in expert discussions. For this purpose, appropriate knowledge and experience in the field of the housing benefit system and the adjacent social security systems (in particular the basic security according to SGB II / SGB XII and the priority social benefits such as child allowance as well as benefits for education and participation or the future basic child benefit) are required and must be proven by the contractor.

See "Description of Services"