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Press Release from 2015-11-19 / Group

German Federal Government awards grants for burglary protection measures

KfW promotional programme for 'Age-appropriate Conversion' expanded

With immediate effect, private owners and tenants can avail of grants from KfW to protect their apartments and houses against burglary. Grants for investments in measures to reduce barriers and meet the demanding standards of "age-appropriate housing" are also being increased. Age-appropriate conversion and burglary protection measures can be combined freely.

Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Barbara Hendricks, stated: "Almost 50% of all burglars give up after a few minutes if technical burglary protection prevents them from entering a property. Investment in anti-burglary protection therefore really does pay off! This is why we are providing EUR 30 million with immediate effect to promote the installation of crime prevention measures. In doing so, we are responding to tenants' and property owners' demands for more anti-burglary protection and enabling them to enjoy more security within their own four walls".

As of now, the following burglary prevention measures will be funded independently as part of KfW's "Age-appropriate Conversion" programme: these include the installation or retrofitting of burglar-resistant entrance doors to houses and apartments and the retrofitting of windows and burglar-proof shutters. Each year from 2015 to 2017, the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety will allocate EUR 10 million for this purpose.

The amount of the grant is based on the amount of the eligible investment costs. The grants for individual individual burglary protection and barrier reduction measures cover ten percent (previously eight percent) of the eligible investment costs and 12.5 percent (previously ten percent) for the "Age-appropriate House" promotional standard. The minimum investment costs are now reduced from EUR 3,750 to EUR 2,000.

Dr Ingrid Hengster, Member of the Executive Board of KfW Group commented: "The improved offering has made KfW's promotion even more flexible for customers. It is now easier for tenants and owners to invest in improving their residential quality, reducing barriers and in security measures for their apartments and houses".

Details of the changes:

Anyone wanting to secure their apartment or house against break-ins can receive grants of at least EUR 200 up to maximum EUR 1,500, depending on the investment costs. Funding is available for e. g. the installation of alarm systems and intercoms, the installation and retrofitting of burglar-resistant doors, and the retrofitting of windows.

Those wishing to combine burglary prevention measures with age-appropriate conversion and invest in both can apply for a grant totalling between EUR 200 and EUR 5,000, in line with the investment costs. The reduction of barriers is promoted, e. g. installing floor-level showers, widening doorways, changing the layout of rooms or installing step-free entrance doors to houses and apartments.

For the "Age-appropriate House" promotional standard, the grant is increased to 12.5 percent of the eligible investment costs; the maximum amount that can be applied for is EUR 6,250.

All measures allow for both material costs and craftsman services to be funded. The funding is conditional on the work being carried out by a specialist company. As usual, the grants may be combined with the energy-efficient refurbishment programmes, e. g. with existing plans to replace windows.

More information can be found at: www.kfw.de/einbruchschutz

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Portrait von Sybille Bauerfeind