The City of Jena Wants More Flexibility for New Housing Construction

More opportunities to acquire urgently needed residential development land and develop new housing: That is the goal of several preemptive right ordinances that the Jena City Council adopted yesterday (July 1, 2026) at its meeting.This gives the city of Jena the opportunity to step in instead of private buyers when certain properties are sold and to acquire the land itself. The basis for this is the Building Code, which grants municipalities this special right of first refusal when it serves the public interest.

“Jena needs affordable housing and, at the same time, more leeway to secure key areas for urban development in the long term. With the preemptive right ordinances, we are creating an option to acquire land ownership so that we can develop housing potential step by step in the best interests of our citizens,” explains Dirk Lange, Head of the Department of Urban Development and Environment.

Greater Flexibility in Housing Development

The background to this is the strained situation on Jena’s housing market. Demand for housing has been high for years. At the same time, the city has only a limited amount of its own land suitable for residential construction. The goal is therefore to create more affordable housing that helps stabilize prices in the long term—also to keep Jena attractive as a place to live and work.

The bylaws are part of the “Jena Residential Building Land Model,” which the City Council adopted in 2024. Even before that, the City of Jena had developed various housing policy strategies and guidelines to strengthen the municipality’s scope for action in housing development.

Scope of the Right of First Refusal

The new preemptive rights apply in particular to areas where land offers favorable conditions for housing construction—such as a convenient location, good access to public transportation, or the potential for many new apartments. This also applies to areas where development has so far been hampered by complex ownership structures.

The so-called “Package 1” covers the following areas:

• Kapellendorfer Weg in Isserstedt

• Area near the Talschule in the Kernberge district

• An der Trebe in Wenigenjena

• Mädertal in Jena-Süd

• Closewitzer Straße in Jena-Nord

When the right of first refusal applies

The bylaws do not mean that properties will be expropriated or that construction will begin immediately on the affected sites. A right of first refusal applies only when owners sell their properties.

A legally valid purchase agreement is required. As soon as the city is duly notified of the sale, it will review the purchase agreement within three months to determine whether the legal requirements for exercising the right of first refusal have been met. Only then will it decide whether to exercise that right.

One of the purposes of the right of first refusal is to prevent real estate from being traded solely for speculative reasons. In cases where the agreed-upon purchase price significantly exceeds the applicable standard land value, the city has the right to limit the amount to be paid to the actual market value at the time of purchase.

Purchase of Potential Sites by KIJ

The purchase of potential sites is carried out through the municipal agency Kommunale Immobilien Jena (KIJ). The City Council will decide on specific zoning plans and potential construction projects at a later date. Citizens and other stakeholders will also be involved in this process. Potential impacts on the climate and the environment will likewise be assessed as the process proceeds.

The preemptive right statutes will be published on the City of Jena’s website and will also be displayed on the city’s map portal.