In view of the lack of apartments and rising construction prices, the Berlin CDU parliamentary group is calling for higher state investment in new housing construction. “The state of Berlin must invest more of its own money in the provision of housing,” said CDU parliamentary group leader Kai Wegner to the Tagesspiegel.

Wegner called on the red-green-red coalition to comply with the state’s new building targets of 20,000 apartments a year, which the Left Group has questioned. “The social question of our time can no longer be postponed.” The fact that the left is questioning the new construction goals is wrong.

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The CDU parliamentary group meets at the weekend for a retreat to discuss the Berlin double budget for 2022/23. Wegner called on Red-Green-Red to set clear priorities in the budget.

“In times of war and inflation, we cannot support ideological projects in a watering-can manner. There must be no budgetary policy according to the wish list,” said Wegner. Among other things, the Senate should refrain from buying housing stock in order to be able to use the funds for other projects. “So much money has gone into the home buybacks. If the SPD, the Greens and the Left had used this to build new homes, we would be further along now.”

Instead, the CDU leader called for further investments, especially for education and training. “I’m annoyed that we have too few school and daycare places in Berlin.” There is “so much pressure on the boiler” that further delays are unacceptable.