In many German cities, the people want to demonstrate this Saturday against the “rent insanity”. In Berlin, an Initiative even call for a referendum for the expropriation of large housing corporations.
As Niklas Brubach on November 28. December of last year, opens his Mail, he believes only a bad joke. On 30 pages, explained to him to be a house owner, how he wants to modernise the Two-room apartment, which the Student shares with a roommate. Instead of 458 Euro per month to rent 1408 Euro would then be due. The can and do not want to pay the two young men.
With the increase in rent, the problems, come and Niklas Brubach says: “What do I do if I must get out of here, because I can’t afford it, and maybe not a flat spot? I need to move out of town?”
Fighting against the rent increase: Niklas Brubach
He will fight and demonstrate to go this Saturday, as thousands of people in the whole of Germany. “Together against displacement and rent madness” is the name of the Demonstration in Berlin, 25,000 people are expected. In the last ten years has doubled the rent in the once so cheap Berlin smooth. Alone in 2017, the real estate prices rose, according to a study by 20.5 percent, as much as in any other city in the world. Not least because of that, an Initiative, a referendum, the people of “Deutsche Wohnen & co.” dispossess launched the signature campaign is to start at the Demonstration on Saturday.
Thousands of protesters are expected on Saturday
“The company reports captive”
Deutsche Wohnen, with more than 100,000 apartments in Berlin, the largest private home owners, has become the Symbol for the rising Rent and maximizing the Return in the capital. On the referendum, the Initiative calls for a drastic measure: for the city of Berlin, a law, with the housing corporations with more than 3000 apartments expropriated. Would be affected a total of about 200,000 in Berlin apartments.
“The company reports own needs. We need to live somewhere, and it can’t be that housing is a commodity, which is virtually sold, where it goes, only to return. Because man, you and I, is completely beside the point,” says Daniel Diekmann. He has become ten years ago Mietaktivist and supported the referendum. For 16 years, he lives on the same street in Berlin-Mitte and has meticulously listed, how investors are dealt with in the 106 apartments in his block of flats. Since it is sold, modernized, and now he should even be torn down to build luxury apartments. 80 the tenants have moved out, out of fear.
Image of rent increase: Deutsche Wohnen
Majority for socialization
The supporters of the people’s desire to see their demands enshrined in the fundamental law. According to article 15 of the land can be “in public ownership or other forms of public enterprise transferred”. In fact, the article 15 in this Form has not been applied yet. The initiators are optimistic that they will get the necessary number of signatures. 20,000 people have to leave within six months of the sign, then again to 170,000 more to February 2020, to such a people desires become a reality. According to the latest surveys of the Berlin sympathy for the idea of socialization was expressed by a small majority.
That such a left-wing demand, such as expropriation takes place in the center of the company attention and support, is new. Some sense the return of socialism in the former capital of the GDR. In the ARD-Deutschland trend, 62 percent of those who have sought in Germany in the last five years, according to apartment said that it was for you personally a very big or big Problem to find affordable housing. Too timid, it is argued, the policy is the Problem.
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Horrendous Rent: The struggle for affordable housing
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Horrendous Rent: The struggle for affordable housing
Solution or a deterrent?
In Berlin, many people of the government party, the SPD, the wave of housing privatisation, to blame for the misery. The party from the Governing mayor Michael Müller has not yet found a clear Position as to the content of people’s desire. The left party as a coalition partner supported the demands of desire, and invites you officially to the Demonstration on Saturday. In Berlin also mitregiere Green are divided.
Apartment associations and company argued that expropriation would not change the actual Problem of Berlin: the growing city desperately needs more apartments. This could only be funded new construction solved. Berlin business representatives warn of a “taboo”. The debate about expropriation shrink from investors.
Daniel Diekmann: “The Problem is arrived in the middle of the society”
Should, in fact, as the initiators of a popular initiative calling for 240,000 homes to be expropriated, it could be expensive for the already highly-indebted Berlin. According to one estimate, of the Senate, compensation payments of up to nearly 37 billion euros could be due. The representatives of the people desire an estimate of the costs, however, are significantly lower.
For Daniel Diekmann, the time has come that something must happen: “The Problem is arrived in the middle of the society. In Germany alone, there are twenty cities that will participate in the ‘rent madness’-day of protest. In Europe there are a further fifteen cities. And it goes on up to Canada. Simply because of all say that Housing is a human right.”