Enforcing Social Housing Policy at Federal Level – How Do We Build Up the Necessary Pressure?
KoopBüro (StadtWERKSTATT)
Only one and a half years left until the next elections, and still the current federal government has brought no improvements for tenants. The parties of the "traffic light" coalition will not even implement the reforms to tenancy law that they agreed on in their coalition agreement. A new "Wohngemeinnützigkeit" (residential community benefit) is still not forthcoming. There is no time to be lost. Not for tenants and even less for the growing number of homeless people. How can we as initiatives, associations and social opposition work towards urgently needed tenant protection and social housing policy?
Inga Jensen is Head of Division for Housing and Consumer Policy at the German Trade Union Confederation (Deutschen Gewerkschaftsbund). Jonathan Diesselhorst is Head of Economic and Social Policy at the German Trad Union for Construction, Agriculture and Environment (Industriegewerkschaft Bauen-Agrar-Umwelt). The trade unions are part of the federal government's housing alliance. At the same time, they are part of the campaign for a rent freeze ("Mietenstopp") and are making further demands from the federal coalition. The Left Party in Bundestag supports the campaign for a rent freeze and has called for numerous reforms to tenancy law. The left-wing opposition is actively and critically supporting the numerous announcements of a new housing community benefit ("Wohngemeinnützigkeit") that creates more housing for the common good.
After the next federal election, the conditions for social housing policy could become even worse. What can still be achieved now? Do we have to concentrate our efforts on few demands? In which areas can we achieve which specific improvements for tenants? What roles can we play in each case? What actions and alliances can we use to build up effective pressure in the coming year?
We want to discuss these questions together with participants from different backgrounds and set the course for a final spurt of parliamentary and extra-parliamentary constructive opposition.
Workshop organizers
Hanno Bruchmann (housing policy advisor to Caren Lay, Member of the Bundestag, Die Linke)
Inga Jensen (DGB, Mietenstopp)
Jonathan Diesselhorst (IG BAU)
