Altenburg secures six houses for almost two million euros!

Altenburg secures six houses for almost two million euros!

Markt, Altenburg, Deutschland - The city of Altenburg recently made use of its right of first refusal and acquired six properties on the market. This decision was necessary to support the urban development goals and promote attractive living conditions. The purchase price for the package, which includes house numbers 7, 9, 36, 37, 40 and 41, is 1.93 million euros. The owner of the real estate concerned is the municipal housing company (SWG).

The negotiations on the purchase were lengthy and took place with two corporations. Originally, the city wanted to make use of its right of first refusal for seven houses in 2023, but decided to do without another property to reduce the purchase price. The original price for all seven properties was around 2.6 million euros.

planned measures for the new real estate

The SWG plans to integrate the newly acquired real estate into its existing concept. Comprehensive renovation work is planned for the markets 40 and 41, since these buildings are closely connected to a neighboring building. The future of the other four largely empty houses is still unclear.

A legal framework that enables municipalities to act more effectively is increasingly being challenged. So Kommunal.de reported that a draft law to restore the municipal right of first refusal is discussed in order to strengthen the rights of the cities and to make it difficult to convert rental apartments. This is also about protecting the interests of the tenants and avoiding the displacement of tenants, which came into play in the decision of the Federal Administrative Court of 2022.

regardless of this, the right of first refusal remains a controversial topic. Critics warn of the potential negative effects on new investments and emphasize that the price to which municipalities could buy real estate could be difficult to affect in view of the high market value. In large cities such as Berlin, the right of first refusal is often used to defend themselves against a tense housing market.

Altenburg's commitment to real estate policy shows that smaller cities can also become active in order to counter the challenges of the housing crisis and to make a significant contribution to urban development. The coming months will be decisive for how the SWG and the city of Altenburg's plans will develop, especially with a view to the still uncertain future of most of the recently acquired real estate.

More information on the topic and its meaning can be found in the publications of lvz.de and City day .