nationwide, thousands of people against rising Rents and the politics of protest again discussed. In the need for more affordable housing, is consensus. But on the way there is a fight.
In several German cities today to protest against the housing shortage and rising Rents. Demonstrations of tenants ‘ associations and initiatives to, among other things, in Munich, Cologne, Dortmund, Dresden and Stuttgart. The largest event takes place in Berlin: are Registered with the 6000 participants, the organizers expect up to 25,000.
In the capital, began at midnight, the controversial referendum for the expropriation of housing corporations. The initiators are demanding that companies be expropriated with more than 3000 apartments. The highly indebted state of Berlin to buy the apartments. The Senate estimates that more than 30 billion euros would cost. Alone of the group, Deutsche Wohnen in Berlin around 112,000 apartments.
In Berlin, calling for protesters to expropriate large apartment company.
“Not a socialist answer”
As a “danger for the social peace in Germany” criticized the CSU request state group leader Alexander Dobrindt and the Berlin people. Living is the new social question could not be answered but socialist, he told the “Augsburger Allgemeine”. Here will acted according to the Motto “Expropriate instead of build”. Dobrindt urged instead a Bauoffensive in Berlin, to fix “the failures of the past”.
Also, the SPD rejects expropriation as an Instrument against exploding Rents. Party leader Andrea Nahles said the “Bild am Sonntag”, you can understand the anger at housing corporations, the “want to squeeze every penny out of the tenants out”. Expropriation takes but years, and do not a single apartment. Instead of expropriations, the SPD wanted a Rent freeze for the next five years.