Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 105
Winter Aid 2022/2023
Happy 80th birthday to Günter Wallraff.
Last year he was with us at the beginning of December on the station forecourt. The three-day overnight stay with homeless people was intended to draw attention to the situation of the homeless and to urge the city to house all homeless people in lockable single rooms.
Exemplary this made the small association Helping Hands Cologne registered association, which accommodated over 30 homeless ones for the second winter in consequence in a youth hotel. Two of these homeless people also spoke at the press conference together with Günter Wallraff and others. Musicians from AG Arsch Huh sang “Alles verlore,” among other songs.
The city did not react. But the symbolic overnight action gave rise to the Mülheim Ark on the right bank of the Rhine – modeled on Gulliver at the main train station. https://www.arche-obdach.org/muelheimer-arche/
The Left Party and the SPD have asked for the meeting of the Social Committee on 18.08.2022: “How far is the administration with the implementation of the resolution of the Social Committee of 14.01.2021 regarding additional accommodation for homeless people, which provides for the conversion of the accommodation system in Cologne to single rooms with 24-hour stay?”
https://ratsinformation.stadt-koeln.de/getfile.asp?id=889018&type=do
Sozialdezernent Rau informed the Social Committee on 9/22/2022 about winter assistance for homeless people in the coming winter – without any reference to the decision of the Social Committee of 01/14/2021:
https://ratsinformation.stadt-koeln.de/getfile.asp?id=895732&type=do
Meanwhile, Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach and RKI chief Wieler warn of a new wave of corona in the fall and winter.
In Friedrich-Engels-Strasse 7, 80 apartments with over 200 rooms are empty and the city of Cologne sees no possibility to accommodate homeless people and refugees there:
Houses of the Russian Federation – Possible actions of the city of Cologne.
https://ratsinformation.stadt-koeln.de/vo0050.asp?__kvonr=110545
Also the Stadt-Anzeiger does not think of referring the vacancy to the many homeless people on the street. Yet that was the reason why the houses were occupied again and again and why rallies were and are held in front of them. Almost 1 percent of the 500,000 apartments in Cologne are empty and the city sees no way to accommodate the homeless there.
https://www.ksta.de/koeln/lindenthal/geisterhaeuser-in-suelz-keine-enteignung-russischer-haeuser—stadt-sucht-nach-umweg-39972562
The Express also considers a solution by the city for the houses in Friedrich-Engels-Strasse to be acceptable in ten years and does not see the city as having a duty to get the homeless off the streets immediately. The vacancy in the houses of the Russian Federation is not compatible with the Basic Law Article 14.2: “Property obligates. Its use shall at the same time serve the common good.” https://www.express.de/koeln/geisterhaeuser-deshalb-kann-koeln-russland-nicht-enteignen-91001?cb=1664537715295
Two years ago there were 1,728 evictions in Cologne and in 2021 there were 1,589 evictions.
https://berichte-landtag.nrw.de/uploads/345/KA%20345.pdf
Is this supposed to continue?
Neither the federal government, nor the state, nor the city of Cologne have issued a moratorium against forced evictions. The profit-oriented corporations want to continue evicting:
Possible eviction lawsuits: Vonovia shocks tenant protectors
https://www1.wdr.de/nachrichten/ruhrgebiet/vonovia-kuendigung-als-letzter-ausweg–100.html
A first government study on the homeless in Germany has been published:
https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/gesellschaft/obdachlosigkeit-in-deutschland-37-400-menschen-leben-laut-studie-auf-der-strasse-a-7503df2c-d1f2-4489-b1c1-2270467e8023
Why people lose their homes. Statistical report of the BAG-Homeless Aid.
https://www.bagw.de/de/themen/statistik-und-dokumentation/statistikberichterstattung/uebersicht
Police violence in Germany
Police shoot people, majority remain silent
When US police killed George Floyd, there were protests even in Germany. Now four people die here during police operations ¬- and nothing happens. There are reasons for that.
A guest article by Daniel Loick and Vanessa Thompson
In Germany, marginalized people lack a public lobby
The experience of police violence would therefore be a moment through which the perspectives of different oppressed and marginalized groups could be connected – people affected by poverty, eviction or homelessness, migrants and refugees, sex workers and environmental activists – a connection through which a new social protest movement could emerge beyond the concrete issue https://www.zeit.de/gesellschaft/2022-09/polizeigewalt-diskriminierung-rassismus-sicherheitsbehoerden-kritik.
Against the demolition
The Council of the City of Cologne declared a “climate emergency” on July 9, 2019, confirming that climate change mitigation is a high priority in urban policy and must be fundamentally considered in all decisions in the future.
https://www.stadt-koeln.de/artikel/69223/index.html
It would be appropriate if council members asked the administration how many buildings worth preserving have since been demolished in Cologne to build condominiums.
The German Museum of Architecture in Frankfurt opened an exhibition showing how to build with existing buildings:
40 percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions are expected to fall on the construction and building sector, according to a UN study released in April 2022.
https://taz.de/Ausstellung-ueber-Bauen-mit-Bestand/!5879545&s=Katharina+J+Cichosch/
On 27.09.2022 was in the Stadt-Anzeiger “Sudden end for the Hafenakademie” to read. The house is to be demolished for a new building.
Broadcasts, Messages, News
Video Why do we tolerate such high levels of injustice in our society? This film touches on issues of inequality and offers a thought-provoking and timely look at where our sense of fairness comes… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8a__XE5qIw
700,000 social housing units missing
“About every 19 minutes” the commitment for a public housing unit ends, and only every 25 minutes is a new one built, Feiger elaborated. The need has grown to about 700,000 social housing units, he said. According to calculations by the Pestel Institute, rents will rise from an average of 10.87 euros per square meter in May of this year to 13.57 euros per square meter. With rising electricity, heating and operating costs, tenants are thus facing “a second rent,” explained Günther, the institute’s director. Feiger added: “Germany is in danger of housing poverty.”
https://www.jungewelt.de/artikel/435644.wohnen-und-arbeiten-in-der-krise-700-000-sozialwohnungen-fehlen.html
“New construction will not solve the need”
Money laundering, tax privileges and a forgetful state: the German housing market has some problems. Caren Lay has proposed solutions.
https://taz.de/Linkenpolitikerin-uebers-Wohnen/!5880216&s=Jasmin+Kalarickal/
Government housing subsidy reform: necessary, but not sustainable
The housing allowance reform provides urgently needed relief for many people. It does not address the problem behind it, speculation in the housing market.
https://taz.de/Wohngeldreform-der-Regierung/!5880397&s=Jasmin+Kalarickal/
More housing subsidies for more people
https://taz.de/Archiv-Suche/!5884709&s=Jasmin%2BKalarickal&SuchFrame=Print/
Serial timber housing
The key to affordable housing?That’s why the company expects to be able to produce up to 20,000 homes a year using serial timber construction.
https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/innenpolitik/holz-wohnungsbau-deutschland-101.html
The dead man from Alexanderplatz
A homeless man beats a homeless man to death
https://www.zeit.de/2022/39/berlin-alexanderplatz-tod-obdachloser-gerichtsverfahren?utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2F
Daniel Halmer: The Robin Hood of Berlin tenants has “many enemies”
https://www.msn.com/de-de/finanzen/top-stories/daniel-halmer-der-robin-hood-der-berliner-mieter-hat-viele-feinde/ar-AA12d6l1
Citizen participation desired. A new urban quarter is to be built in Cologne-Ehrenfeld
https://www.ksta.de/koeln/buergerbeteiligung-erwuenscht-in-koeln-ehrenfeld-soll-ein-neues-stadtquartier-entstehen-39973966
Tenants can afford less and less living space
https://www.n-tv.de/wirtschaft/Mieter-koennen-sich-immer-weniger-Wohnraum-leisten-article23620865.html
Berlin: Tenants with energy debts may not be terminated for six months
https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/news/wohnungsgesellschaften-berlin-mieter-mit-energieschulden-duerfen-sechs-monate-nicht-gekuendigt-werden-li.271346
The European Drug Report 2022
https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/system/files/publications/14644/20222419_TDAT22001DEN_PDF.pdf
Dates
10/01/2022, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Rally against vacancies: “Apartments for homeless and refugees” , corner of Friedrich-Engels-Straße / Berrenrather Straße
1.10.2022, 12 o’clock, nationwide day of action of the peace movement, Heumarkt
1.10.2022, 15:00, Rally and demo: enough is enough. Heumarkt
08.10.2022, 1-5 p.m. Europe-wide day of action for a rent freeze, Rudolfplatz
https://europeandayofactionforhousingrights.wordpress.com/
10.10.2022 International Homeless Day
For a city without homelessness
For a city without evictions
For a city without drug deaths
For a city without violence against women and children
For a city without deportations
For a city without poverty
October 01, 2022
Klaus Jünschke and Rainer Kippe
PS
Call for donations
To further improve our public relations we need money:
Donation account MachMit! e.V. IBAN: DE53370501981011342704
Intended purpose: Aktionsbündnis
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