Action alliance against housing shortage and urban destruction, Newsletter 169
Demonstration against the vacancy of GAG apartments in Stammheim-Süd
Saturday, December 23, 2023 from Ricarda Huch Str.31 to Elias Gut Straße 17
The Express reported fairly on our protest rally on 16.12.2023.
The resident, Ms. Jacobs, who is mentioned in the Express, handed over her spontaneously written letter to Kalle Gerigk, asking him to send it to District Mayor Fuchs.
Rainer Kippe and Kalle Gerigk delivered the letter personally.
We can only explain why it has not yet been possible for GAG to spontaneously open its vacant apartments to people seeking protection by the fact that it is deeply rooted in our society that the financial interests of a few are more assertive than the rights of many to physical integrity and life.
When asked about the goal of an emancipated society, Adorno replied “that no one should starve any more.” On November 11, 2023, the weekly newspaper “Das Parlament” wrote: “The system of humanitarian aid worldwide is on the verge of collapse.” Sarah Schneider from the episcopal aid organization Misereor called for the structural causes of hunger in the world to be recognized. In most cases, hunger is not caused by a lack of food, “but as a result of poverty, conflict, social disadvantage ,
Discrimination or displacement.” Almost 800 million people worldwide are currently starving.
When it comes to homelessness, it is just as important to look at the structural causes. In the 1990s, public housing was abolished, social housing was cut back and federal, state and municipal housing was sold off to locust groups. The market was supposed to fix it.
Today it is obvious that the market is more likely to ruin the world.
We are facing vacancies because we know that self-determined, affordable and non-market housing is possible.
Vacancies despite the housing shortage: the fight against the unwillingness of owners
Cologne prepares to expropriate another Russian Federation building
Decision by the urban development committee to draw up a development plan
Working title: Classen-Kappelmann-Straße 47 in Cologne-Lindenthal
At its meeting on September 28, 2023, the Urban Development Committee of the City of Cologne resolved, among other things
The Urban Development Committee resolves to draw up a development plan for the area in the Müngersdorf district, parcel 69, plot 543 – working title: Classen-Kappelmann-Straße 47 in Cologne-Lindenthal – in accordance with Section 2 (1) of the German Building Code (BauGB) with the aim of designating areas for public use to provide public areas in the neighboring area. The approx. 0.06 ha development plan area is located in the Lindenthal district of the city of Lindenthal. The exact delimitation of the area of application is shown on the site plan accompanying this resolution, which is attached to this announcement for illustrative purposes.
Legal basis
§ Section 2 (1) of the Federal Building Code (BauGB) dated 03.11.2017 (BGBl. I p. 3634) in the currently valid version
Reason for and objectives of the planning
The planning area is currently developed with a three-storey residential building that has been vacant for some time and is owned by the Russian Federation. The aim of the planning is to designate areas for public use to provide public use areas in the neighboring area.
Cologne, November 24, 2023 The Lord Mayor
attn. Henriette Reker file:///C:/Users/Win10%20Home%20×64/Downloads/20231220_amtsblatt_-_b-plan_classen-kappelmann-stra%C3%9Fe_47.pdf
It remains to be seen how many years this will take. This is how the rule of law works. Homeless people are allowed to vegetate and neglect on the streets and houses and apartments are allowed to stand empty.
An opportunity to commemorate Bärbel Bohley: “We wanted justice and got the rule of law”
Left: Housing shortage is not the fault of migrants
“It’s always the same story with the AfD: it’s the migrants’ fault,” said Caren Lay (Die Linke). No one can listen to the “same old racist agitation” anymore, emphasized the Left Party MP. However, the motions also revealed that the AfD had “no idea about the history of housing policy in Germany”. The misery began back in 1990 with the abolition of non-profit status, said Lay. “Since then, social housing has been in decline.”
The number of social housing units has halved. Since then, all federal governments have sold off the silverware by privatizing apartments. The housing shortage is therefore due to political mistakes “and is not the fault of migrants”, said Lay. https://www.bundestag.de/dokumente/textarchiv/2019/kw51-de-obdachlosigkeit-673094
Public hearing on “Housing and homelessness” on March 20, 2019
What the Bundestag already knew in 2019 without acting on it
Motions by the Left and the Greens from 2019
In its motion (19/7459) entitled “Combating housing and homelessness, preventing forced evictions”, the Left Party proposes a public housing program worth ten billion euros. Housing benefit should be adjusted regularly and in line with demand, benefits for housing costs should be significantly increased and sanctions for the socially disadvantaged in the area of housing policy should be abolished.
In their motion (19/7734) entitled “Ensuring the human right to housing in the long term – consistently combating housing and homelessness”, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen call for a national action program to eliminate homelessness in Germany by 2030 and prevent it from occurring. In addition to expanding the data and research base, the program calls for more funding, more social housing construction and the reintroduction of non-profit status in the housing sector. (fla/20.03.2019)
To read
“Save social Cologne”
This slogan was on the banner at the head of the demonstration against social cuts, which set off from Otto-Platz on Wednesday, November 29, and led across the Deutzer Brücke bridge through the city to Aachener Weiher.
A current study:
Marcel Helbig: Behind the facades. On the unequal distribution of poverty, wealth, education and ethnicity in German cities
Social segregation refers to the unequal spatial distribution of different social groups. In the period under review (2005 to 2022), poverty segregation in particular, i.e. the unequal distribution of people who receive state transfer payments, has worsened. It increased particularly sharply in cities where a high level of segregation had already been reached.
Out of 153 cities, Cologne is the 36th worst city in terms of social segregation:
13 demands for the decriminalization of people who use illegal drugs
Broadcasts, Reports, News
Successful against speculation
The owner of Habersaathstraße 40-48 in Berlin-Mitte also loses the sixth eviction case against the longstanding tenants on Wednesday.
Building Minister Geywitz on Lanz. Housing shortage even greater than expected
And https://www.zdf.de/gesellschaft/markus-lanz
Jochen Ott in the Youtube-Chanell of report-k on housing policy, among other things
How homelessness was discussed in the Bundestag on 20.12.2019
Speech by a spokesperson for people affected by poverty. Every 3rd Saturday of the month Breslauer Platz
Cologne’s new Kreuzfeld district
The car should only be a “guest” according to Greitemann, head of the building department
Singapore: Public housing for social integration
Singapore is one of the most expensive cities in the world. However, it is possible to lease an apartment from the state for a small price – so-called “public housing”. https://www.dw.com/de/singapur-public-housing-f%C3%BCr-soziale-integration/a-67692812
Rent increased! What can you do?
How tenants in Cologne can take action against the increase
Vacancies despite housing shortage
Why the plans for the LEG housing estate in Cologne-Höhenhaus are stalling
Dates
23.12.2023, 11 a.m., protest rally against vacancies, Ricarda-Huch-Str.31
18.01.2024, 15:30, Committee for Social Affairs
27.01.2024, 6 – 7:30 pm, Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Nazis. Antonite Church
05.02.2024, 7 pm, “M’r welle en neu Stadt baue”, Historical Archive, Eifelwall
06.02.2023, 3.30 pm, Council
For a city without homelessness
For a city without evictions
For a city without drug-related deaths
For a city without violence against women and children
For a city without deportations
For a city without poverty
December 23, 2023
Klaus Jünschke and Rainer Kippe
PS
Appeal for donations
We need money to further improve our public relations work:
Donation account MachMit! e.V. IBAN: DE53370501981011342704
Purpose: Action alliance
To discuss further actions, we will meet on Monday, January 8, 2024 at 7 pm in the open meeting room of the Bürgerzentrum Alte Feuerwache
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator
