Like the Berlin Tenants’ Association and the Central Real Estate Committee (ZIA), the German Trade Union Federation Berlin-Brandenburg (DGB) does not want to sign the agreement of the alliance between the Senate and the housing industry.
The Senate’s initiative is seen as a “step in the right direction”, as it makes the private and municipal housing industry responsible. But from the DGB’s point of view, more is needed: A binding rent freeze However, the housing industry only moves to agreements that primarily affect cases of hardship or that have the character of a recommendation,” said the trade union federation. This is not helping the broad tenants enough.
In addition, the DGB criticized the fact that the new building of 20,000 apartments per year in the capital is being maintained, but without specifying how at least half of the new buildings should be made affordable for people with low and middle incomes.
It is also unclear who should build the 5,000 new social housing units each year and what share the private real estate industry will play, the press release continues. These questions need to be clarified “so that construction doesn’t ignore needs.”
As a third point, the trade union federation complained that “collectively paid, socially secure work with fair conditions” in construction was not taken into account in the alliance paper. However, the DGB wants to continue to be involved in the consultations and negotiations on the conditions of building and living.
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After around six months of negotiations, the Berlin Alliance for New Housing and Affordable Housing agreed on a series of measures on June 20: Senate members, district mayors, representatives of cooperatives, real estate companies and industry associations signed a joint agreement in the Red City Hall.
One of the most important agreements set out in the alliance paper is “not to implement an increase in net cold rents that lead to household burdens of more than 30 percent of the annual net household income”.
This was the central suggestion of the Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey (SPD). In addition, housing construction in the capital is to be accelerated. By 2030, 200,000 new apartments are to be built in Berlin.
