Fight against rental madness: cooperatives as hope for Berlin!

Fight against rental madness: cooperatives as hope for Berlin!

Berlin, Deutschland - in Berlin, the heavy storm not only caused stormy times, but also the closure of bathing spots in the Tegeler and Spandauer Forst. The Berlin foresters warn of the danger that falls from falling branches. In the middle of this stormy situation, the CDU parliamentary group in the House of Representatives calls for improved air defense for the capital. Suggestions include everything from sirens to bunkers to the protection of critical infrastructures. The question of security is particularly relevant in these turbulent times.

But that's not the only challenge in front of which the Berlin citizens are facing. Wiebke Enwaldt, an affected tenant, already looks at an excerpt from Berlin because of the high rents. This situation impressively shows how urgent the housing problem is in the city and how housing cooperatives could be used as a possible solution to cushion the misery, such as rbb-online.de reported.

crisis in housing construction

How is the housing market in Berlin currently doing? The numbers are alarming. According to the IBB housing market report, the median offer rents in the capital are now 13.99 EUR/m², which is an increase of 21.2% compared to 2022. The districts of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and Mitte are particularly affected, where rental prices rise to EUR 18.33/m² and EUR 18.26/m². A trend that can not only be felt in the city; Even in the surrounding communities, rents have risen by around 11% to 12.38 EUR/m², as [ibb.de] (https://www.ibb.de/de/ueber-uns/publikation/wohnungsmarkt report/2023.html).

The current situation makes it almost impossible for young families to realize the dream of home. In response to this, the CDU under the direction of Secretary General Carsten Linnemann made a decision to make building in Germany more attractive. Among other things, the plan provides for a “right of enabling” to reduce the bureaucratic hurdles when building. Minister Ina Scharrenbach emphasizes that the real estate industry is under pressure and that it is time to ensure the tailwind instead of headwind, so cdu.de.

trust in politics

Not only the tenants are concerned, but also private landlords are under pressure. The criticism of the traffic light government is growing and many landlords have lost confidence in current political decisions. Scharrenbach expresses that a new regulation in the deduction of advertising costs and a reduction in real estate transfer tax for the first housing purchase are urgently needed to stabilize the situation. An unexpected decline in building permits could continue to burden the already tense market.