Action Coalition against housing distress and urban destruction in Cologne

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Most recently at Action Coalition

• Newsletter NO 180 of 09 March 2024
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban destruction, Newsletter 180 Protest against vacancy of GAG apartments 09.03.2024, 11 a.m., Ricarda-Huch-Str.31 in front of the GAG Service Center More than just living space: these are GAG’s new building plans in Cologne-Stammheim Rainer Kippe: There is a lot of talk about GAG’s plans, and everything that everyone already knows and that nobody really cares about is told again. The only real question, why the apartments cannot be used INTERMEDIATELY, is not addressed. GAG, a non-profit company that is predominantly owned by the city, has no need to answer this question, and the… Continue reading Newsletter NO 180 of 09 March 2024
• Newsletter NO 179 of 02 March 2024
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban destruction, Newsletter 179 Protest against vacancy of GAG apartments 02.03.2024, 11 a.m., Ricarda-Huch-Str.31 in front of the GAG Service Center Doors barricaded Demolition in Cologne’s Veedel district is delayed – resistance is growing Dozens of apartments on Elias-Gut-Strasse in the Stammheim district of Cologne have already been cleared. The doors are secured with locks and wooden panels block access. Empty flower boxes still hang on the balconies. The non-profit municipal housing association GAG wants to demolish the block of flats and build a new one here. But that will take some time. That… Continue reading Newsletter NO 179 of 02 March 2024
• Newsletter No 178 of 24 February 2024
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban destruction, Newsletter 178 Protest against vacancy of GAG apartments 24.02.2024, 11 a.m., Ricarda-Huch-Str.31 in front of the GAG Service Center Why we meet every Saturday in Stammheim in front of the GAG office and in front of the GAG apartments being vacated in Elias-Gut-Strasse. By Rainer Kippe As you know, the houses are to be cleared and demolished and replaced by new buildings. As you also know, the demolition will be delayed by at least a year, but the eviction is to continue and the vacated apartments are to remain empty until demolition… Continue reading Newsletter No 178 of 24 February 2024
• Newsletter No 177 of 17 February 2024
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban destruction, Newsletter 177 Protest rally against vacant GAG apartments in Stammheim 17.02.2024, 11 a.m., Ricarda Huch Str.31 in front of the GAG Service Center We cannot and will not put up with apartments and offices standing empty for months and years while people try to survive on the streets and squares of Cologne. With a lurid title, report-k has reported on the “Cologne concept for combating homelessness”, which is circulating as a draft in the city administration. “Concept on housing and homelessness leaked” Homelessness is an extreme case of poverty. Anyone who seriously… Continue reading Newsletter No 177 of 17 February 2024
• Newsletter No 176 of 10 February 2024
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban destruction, Newsletter 176 10 years of “Kalle for all” Kalle Gerigk was evicted on February 20, 2014. He experienced an incredible amount of solidarity back then, which he still passes on today. Adnan Akyüz reported on this in the Express Düsseldorf wants to become the first city without homelessness When we once spoke to Social Affairs Director Rau about the abolition of homelessness – that it would be possible to get everyone off the streets and into vacant properties – he replied that others would follow. He is afraid of abolishing homelessness because… Continue reading Newsletter No 176 of 10 February 2024
• Newsletter No 175 of 03 February 2024
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban destruction, Newsletter 175 Protest against vacancy of GAG apartments Meeting point on February 3, 2024 at 11 am in front of the GAG Service Center at Ricarda-Huch-Str.31 Rainer Kippe on the status of the dispute with the silent GAG: On Monday at 5 pm, the Mülheim district council held a topical hour on the demolition of GAG’s vacant apartments in Cologne Stammheim, Elias – Gut- Straße 1-13. Citizens stood in front of the town hall with banners and megaphones and demanded that the vacant apartments be opened up to the homeless and people… Continue reading Newsletter No 175 of 03 February 2024
• Newsletter No 174 of 27 January 2024
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban destruction, Newsletter 174 Protest against vacancy of GAG apartments, 27.01.2024 , 11 a.m., Ricarda-Huch-Str.31, For the fifth time, we will stand in front of the GAG service office on Saturday and walk to the vacant apartments in Elias Gut Straße. On Monday, the Mülheim district council will discuss the issue again in a topical hour at the request of the Left Party. In his speeches at the rallies, Kalle Gerigk has called for new expert opinions because there are considerable doubts as to whether the demolition of the houses is necessary. An expert… Continue reading Newsletter No 174 of 27 January 2024
• Newsletter No 173 of 20 January 2024
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban destruction, Newsletter 173 Protest against vacancy of GAG apartments and rent increases Saturday, January 20, 2024, 11 am. Ricarda Huch Str.31 A resident yesterday on Facebook: I’m looking forward to the annual statement from GAG. You can bet it will say winter maintenance again. To date, the sidewalks here in Moses-Heß have neither been cleared of snow nor have they been gritted. The misery and plight of the homeless men and women on the streets cannot be overlooked. Although the city of Cologne’s social committee decided on January 14, 2021 to house all… Continue reading Newsletter No 173 of 20 January 2024
• Newsletter No 172 of 13 January 2024
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban destruction, Newsletter 172 Protest against vacancies in GAG apartments and rent increasesSaturday, January 13, 2024, 11 am. Ricarda Huch Str.31GAG – gagOn the last Saturday of the old year, Rainer Kippe occupied a balcony on the 2nd floor of the vacant building at Elias Gut Str.13. When we returned to the street on 6.1.2024, all the balconies on the 2nd floor in the street were barricaded with wire mesh.  The GAG claims to be social – instead of opening the empty houses and apartments to the homeless, wire mesh.You can’t make this stuff… Continue reading Newsletter No 172 of 13 January 2024
• Newsletter No 171 of 06 January 2024
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban destruction, Newsletter 171 Protest against vacancies in GAG apartments and rent increases Saturday, January 6, 2024, 11 am. Ricarda Huch Str.31 Kalle Gerigk has not only registered the rally on Saturday, 6 January, but also for Saturday, 13 January 2024. We not only want to scandalize the city society with the fact that the apartments in buildings 5 – 13 in Elias Gut Strasse are empty, while the number of homeless people on the streets in the city is increasing. We also want to appeal to the Council and persuade the party representatives… Continue reading Newsletter No 171 of 06 January 2024
• Newsletter No 170 of 30 December 2023
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban destruction, Newsletter 170 Protest against vacancies in GAG apartments and rent increases Saturday, December 30, 2023, 11 am. Ricarda Huch Str.31 After the Express, the Rundschau and the Stadt-Anzeiger also reported fairly on our protests against the vacancy of GAG apartments and the rent increases by GAG. We continue. The city leadership is completely unimpressed. In the free “Express – Die Woche” advertising paper delivered to all letterboxes on December 22/23, 2023, there was an interview with Mayor Reker entitled “Must tighten belts”. The text quotes Ms. Reker verbatim: “For all of us,… Continue reading Newsletter No 170 of 30 December 2023
• Newsletter No 169 of 23 December 2023
  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… Continue reading Newsletter No 169 of 23 December 2023
• Newsletter No 168 of 16 December 2023
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban destruction, Newsletter 168 A warm Christmas for the homeless and those seeking housing Demonstration against the vacancy of GAG apartments in Stammheim-Süd Saturday, December 16, 2023 from Ricarda Huch Str.31 to Elias Gut Straße 17 Under the chairmanship of Sandra Weeser (FDP), the Bundestag Committee on Housing, Urban Development, Construction and Municipalities held a public expert discussion on the topic of “Homelessness and homeless assistance” on December 11, 2023. The expert discussion is already available in the Bundestag media library: A summary was published in the parliamentary news on 12.12.2023 There was no… Continue reading Newsletter No 168 of 16 December 2023
• Newsletter No 167 of 09 December 2023
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban destruction, Newsletter 167 Demonstration against vacancy of GAG apartments in Stammheim-Süd Saturday, December 16, 2023 from Ricarda Huch Str.31 to Elias Gut Straße 17 In our last newsletter, we published Bernd Imgrund’s book “1211 Wohnungen. How Chorweiler was saved from the locusts” in our last newsletter. By purchasing these apartments, GAG has prevented further neglect by profit-oriented investors. The foreword states: “It could serve as a model for how to manage social housing in a truly social way.” 30 years ago, 20% of all rental apartments in Cologne were still non-profit and removed… Continue reading Newsletter No 167 of 09 December 2023
• Newsletter No 166 of 02 December 2023
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban destruction, Newsletter 166 Vigil against vacancies in front of the building at Kalker Hauptstraße 88 Saturday, December 2, 2023, from 11 a.m. Why do people live on the street? In Cologne, Mayor Reker and Social Affairs Director Rau have been saying for years: “Nobody has to live on the streets in Cologne.” Alexander Koop, Head of the Social Participation Department of the City of Hanover, in an NDR program on winter aid: “Why do people want to live on the street? Probably because the conditions you get are not ideal. We have to… Continue reading Newsletter No 166 of 02 December 2023
• Newsletter No 165 of 25 November 2023
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban destruction, Newsletter 165 Vigil against vacancy Hitzelerstr.125On Saturday, November 25, 2023 our vigil against vacancy will take place from 11 a.m. in front of the building Hitzelerstr.125 in Raderthal. The building has an interesting history. Because it was the broadcasting center of the predecessor of WDR in 1927, there is interest in housing a radio museum in the listed building. We do not want to oppose this. But as long as this is not realized and the building is empty, it is also interesting for people who live on the street. The city… Continue reading Newsletter No 165 of 25 November 2023
• Newsletter No 164 of 18 November 2023
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban destruction, Newsletter 164 Protest rally against vacanciesNovember 18, 2023 from 11 a.m. Friedrich-Engels-Str.7, 50937 CologneSusanne Esch wrote about the vacancy of the Russian Federation houses in Cologne-Lindenthal in the Stadt-Anzeiger at the end of October: https://www.ksta.de/koeln/lindenthal/lindenthal-veedel/koeln-lindenthal-stadt-hat-plan-fuer-russisches-geisterhaus-672619On Saturday, we let Roland Schüler from the district council and Erich Bethe from the Bethe Foundation have their say, clarifying what was written in the Stadt-Anzeiger.In view of the large number of homeless people and the inadequate and not always suitable places to house them, we want to emphasize our demand for the immediate expropriation of the… Continue reading Newsletter No 164 of 18 November 2023
• Newsletter No 163 of 11 November 2023
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban destruction, Newsletter 163 Finally abolish homelessness!!!Several thousand people demonstrated against the housing shortage in Zurich on Saturday. “No profit with land and rent”, “No to the attack on tenancy law”, “Housing for all” could be read on banners. .:https://www.woz.ch/taeglich/2023/11/06/trotz-wohnungsnot-zueri-isch-no-lang-noed-totThe need to take to the streets for the human right to housing has not yet reached this scale in Cologne. At least the council and committees are now addressing the fact that things can’t go on like this. One in ten Cologne residents pays more than 50% of their monthly income on rent. https://www.ksta.de/wirtschaft/zahlen-der-stadt-koeln-mietbelastung-ist-in-chorweiler-am-groessten-680466And… Continue reading Newsletter No 163 of 11 November 2023
• Newsletter No 162 of 04 November 2023
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban destruction, Newsletter 162 Fighting poverty instead of the poorInstead of tackling the causes of the AfD’s emergence and successes, we are seeing a government whose chancellor has himself photographed on the front page of SPIEGEL with the idiotic slogan “We must deport on a grand scale”. Historian Patrice G. Poutrus pointed out in an interview in DIE ZEIT on 20.10.2023 that the hysterical defence against refugees ultimately also de-legitimizes the presence of those people with a history of migration who are already here: “These are the very best conditions for racism to flourish.”… Continue reading Newsletter No 162 of 04 November 2023
• Newsletter No 161 of 28 October 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 161 SPD initiates debate about Cologne housingOur rally in front of City Hall and the Council meeting were in solidarity with the printers laid off by DuMont and their families. How closely job loss and homelessness are linked is sung about not only by the Höhners with “Alles verlore, keen Arbeit, keen Wohnung, keen Jeld”.Andi Goral of report-k reports on the discussion of the application of the SPD on the housing shortage in the council meeting of 26.10.2023: Christian Joisten, SPD speaks for housing that now is crisis. Especially against the… Continue reading Newsletter No 161 of 28 October 2023
• Newsletter No 160 of 21 October 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 160 “Rich people are looking for a home”The housing activists of ‘Recht auf Stadt’ and other friends of satire like the ‘Pappnasen Rotschwarz’ will march through Cologne-Marienburg on Saturday, October 21, in search of a worthy home for the poor rich in Cologne. Because the cathedral city lags in the competition with other metropolises far behind: Where owner-occupied apartments cost in Paris to 25 million euro, in London to 170 million and in New York even over 200 million dollar, the most expensive Cologne dwelling so far – a Penthouse in… Continue reading Newsletter No 160 of 21 October 2023
• Newsletter No 159 of 14 October 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 159 “Rich people are looking for a home” – Satirical demo through MarienburgOn Saturday, 21.10. at 11.11 a.m. the group “Recht auf Stadt” together with the “Pappnasen rotschwarz” march through Marienburg and protest against housing shortage and housing speculation. The “Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Destruction” and “Wohnen wagen” will be there. Here, the hottest villas stand empty because the owners prefer to speculate or fight over their inheritance rather than rent. Whoever knows Monopoly knows that whoever owns Parkstrasse has already won!So we know what’s what, on August… Continue reading Newsletter No 159 of 14 October 2023
• Newsletter No 158 of 07 October 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 158 “Rich people are looking for homes”Condominiums are selling for over $200 million in New York.https://de.manhattanmiami.com/manhattan/100-most-expensive-manhattan-properties-for-sale In London, there was also a nice top price for a condo at 170 million euroshttps://www.welt.de/finanzen/immobilien/article8966222/Teuerste-Wohnung-der-Welt-hat-neuen-Besitzer.html In Paris, the international clientele has to put down 25 million for a city apartment. https://www.engelvoelkers.com/de/blog/immobilienwissen/markttrends/wohnimmobilienmarkt-paris-aufwaertstrend-der-immobilienpreise-setzt-sich-fort/ Mayor Reker, who promised to lead the city to top positions in all profitable areas when she took office, is distressed. The rich still can’t find a truly rich, world-class home in Cologne. The rich are poorly off in Cologne. When a penthouse,… Continue reading Newsletter No 158 of 07 October 2023
• Newsletter No 157 of 29 September 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 157 “Alliance of OB Reker failed”.Mayor Reker explained in the Stadt-Anzeiger on Saturday, September 23, 2023 how she envisions countering the rising approval ratings for the AfD. Title of her guest article: “Cologne must confront national radicals and populists”.https://www.ksta.de/koeln/gastbeitrag-der-oberbuergermeisterin-koeln-muss-nationalradikalen-und-populisten-entgegentreten-652288 Rainer Kippe found this too little, and wrote this letter to the editor to the Stadt-Anzeiger:Dear Sir or Madam,I would like to thank you very much for your article “against right-wing sentiment” in yesterday’s edition.I think it is good that you have given the floor to Henriette Reker, our Lord Mayor.I share… Continue reading Newsletter No 157 of 29 September 2023
• Newsletter No 156 of 23 September 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 156 “How the new class disguises itself with morals and betrays solidarity”.On Sept. 19, 2023, an article on page 1 of the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger carried this headline: “Scholz demands more action against poverty.” Chancellor Scholz made this statement before the start of a summit in New York on the status of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2015. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziele_f%C3%BCr_nachhaltige_EntwicklungIn the Federal Republic, the government’s commitment to combating poverty is lacking:The ver.di chairman Frank Werneke has sharply criticized the budgetary policy of the Federal Government. The draft budget for 2024… Continue reading Newsletter No 156 of 23 September 2023
• Newsletter No 155 of 16 September 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 155 WOHNEN WAGEN! on 17.9. at the “Day of the Good Life” in NippesOn September 17, the Day of Good Living 2023 will take place in Cologne-Nippes.WOHNEN WAGEN! will be there.Creative against housing shortage – Mauenheimer Straße 3Solidary approaches for affordable housing for all – whether homeless or refugees.With the interactive rent trail, Recht auf Stadt, the BI Bezahlbares Wohnen in Nippes, Wohnen Wagen! and the Aktionsbündnis gegen Wohnungsnot und Stadtzerstörung offer a highlight on the Day of the Good Life.https://tagdesgutenlebens.koeln/ Where to with Kurt? With his new documentary film “Wohin… Continue reading Newsletter No 155 of 16 September 2023
• Newsletter No 154 of 09 September 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Destruction, Newsletter 154 Against privatisation – private investors – the Winands family – defence against the homeless – substitute imprisonment – housing assistance Cologne – building in the existing stock – kindergarten security – for reading – programmes, reports, news – dates In our neighbourhood – against privatisation of public space Flying blind in social housing construction in the federal state of Berlin The Berlin Tenants’ Association criticises the promotion of private investors; in Cologne it is still hoped that the housing shortage can be solved by promoting private investors: “New funding for… Continue reading Newsletter No 154 of 09 September 2023
• Newsletter No 153 of 02 September 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 153 Protest rally before the council meeting on September 7, 2023 at 3 p.m.(The location will be announced)For the reversal of the rent increases of the GAGFor the abolition of homelessnessIn the current issue of StadtRevue, you can read GAG’s collected justifications for their rent increases. If board member Anne Keilholz is allowed to report that rents continue to be at the lower end of the rent index even after the increases, we would have liked to read how this affects the upper end of the rent index. What is more… Continue reading Newsletter No 153 of 02 September 2023
• Newsletter No 152 of 26 August 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 152 Protest rally before the council meeting on September 7, 2023 at 3 p.m. on Theo-Burauen-Platz.For the reversal of the rent increases of the GAGFor the abolition of homelessnessAt their party conference in November 2019, the Cologne Greens adopted “Solution approaches for the city of the future” under the title “Liveable and affordable housing in Cologne”.https://www.gruenekoeln.de/partei/beschluesse/nachricht/lebenswertes-und-bezahlbares-wohnen-in-koeln-3628They wanted to “increase the share of publicly-subsidized and long-term public welfare-oriented housing.” They called for “the establishment of at least one new sponsor or a new public welfare-oriented company for special construction projects that aim… Continue reading Newsletter No 152 of 26 August 2023
• Newsletter No 151 of 19 August 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 151 We carry the social responsibility of the GAG to the graveand demand: GAG must become social againThis morning at 8:30 a.m. we stood in front of the GAG headquarters at Straße des 17.Juni 4 and GAG tenants from various parts of the city gave vent to their anger. They not only protested against the rent increases, but also reported outrageous utility bills and neglect of the buildings. To avoid this, the participants of the GAG supervisory board meeting did not enter the GAG headquarters through the main entrance.Our impressive demonstration… Continue reading Newsletter No 151 of 19 August 2023
• Newsletter No 150 of 12 August 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 150 “We carry GAG’s social responsibility to the grave”.Rally and demo on the occasion of the GAG annual general meetingon August 18, 2023, 8:30 a.m., Straße des 17. Juni 4. On July 21, 2023, Thomas Münch criticized in the Stadt-Anzeiger: “Because of the interests of a few small shareholders, the city is giving GAG out of hand instead of making it an instrument of social housing.”https://www.ksta.de/politik/nrw-politik/12-580-koelner-betroffen-nrw-meldet-rekord-bei-wohnungslosen-610393Before the then virtual general meeting, Helmut Frangenberg wrote in the Stadt-Anzeiger on 29.9.2021 about the background:GAG Immobilien AG is Cologne’s largest landlord and manages around… Continue reading Newsletter No 150 of 12 August 2023
• Newsletter No 149 of 05 August 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 149 All of Cologne wants a social GAGProtest rally and demo against the antisocial rent increasesAugust 18, 2023, 8:30 a.m., in front of the GAG general meeting, Straße des 17. Juni 4.No to the rent increase – Cologne-Stammheim initiative:What needs to happen:First, we want a suspension of rent increases for 24 months.We expect GAG to use this time to enter into dialogue with tenants and to seek and find social solutions together.With its highest shareholding, city politics must use its influence on GAG Immobilien AG in the interest of a responsible… Continue reading Newsletter No 149 of 05 August 2023
• Newsletter No 148 of 29 July 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 148 Protest rally against the rent increases of the GAGon August 18, 2023 at 8:30 a.m. in front of the meeting of the GAG supervisory boardStraße des 17.Juni 4 – GAG headquarters in KalkIn a smart commentary in the August issue of StadtRevue, Christian Werthschulte calls on Cologne politicians to think about the best way for GAG to fulfill its mission of providing housing on “socially appropriate terms.” For the first time in the whole debate, it is being considered whether GAG needs to be remunicipalized. In any case, the city… Continue reading Newsletter No 148 of 29 July 2023
• Newsletter No 147 of 22 July 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 147 70,000 apartments missing in CologneThe local time Cologne of the WDR addressed this on July 19, 2023: “The biggest problem is and remains new affordable housing.” From minute 7:40https://www1.wdr.de/lokalzeit/fernsehen/koeln/video-lokalzeit-aus-koeln—2508.htmlUnmentioned was the current number of homeless counted in Cologne: 12,580. 4000 of them come from Ukraine. In the local time Hans Jörg Depel of the Cologne tenant association came as the first to word: In Cologne it takes unbelievably long, until building applications are worked on. They are lying there. There is no consensus. Hamburg has set itself a certain target:… Continue reading Newsletter No 147 of 22 July 2023
• Newsletter No 146 of 15 July 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 146 Wallstr.31 – Im Hasengarten 11We have suspended our decision to demonstrate every Saturday in front of the house Im Hasengarten 11 for the tenants of Wallstr.31. The owners of Wallstr.31 have announced a template for a building application with the city of Cologne to discuss. Head of the building department Greitemann assured in the local time Cologne that the city wants that the tenants can remain in the Wallstr.31. The city wants to examine the building application, with which the trade areas are to be converted into dwellings, favorably. Forced… Continue reading Newsletter No 146 of 15 July 2023
• Newsletter No 145 of 08 July 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 145 Rally for the tenants of Wallstraße 31 on July 8, 2023 in front of the house of the owners Im Hasengarten 11, 50996 Köln-Hahnwald.When we stood in front of the house Wallstraße 31 on April 22, we protested not only against the owners of the former hotel, but also against the city of Cologne. See our newsletters 134 and 135.https://www.express.de/koeln/wohn-posse-koelner-lebt-13-jahre-in-kneipe-jetzt-droht-aerger-1-553339In the meantime, there is a public commitment by the city of Cologne to preserve the apartments at Wallstraße 31 and a promise to support the owner in legalizing the apartments.Not… Continue reading Newsletter No 145 of 08 July 2023
• Newsletter No 144 of 01 July 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 144 SSM e.V. invites to the solidarity party on Saturday, July 1 from 4 pm.SSM e.V. has been successfully operating autonomous services of general interest in Cologne-Mülheim for more than 40 years. Hundreds of people who previously lived on the street and on social benefits have gotten back on their feet in the last 30 years through the self-determined work at SSM e.V., and many still live and work on the SSM premises at Düsseldorfer Strasse 74. This free work by SSM saves the city of Cologne almost 400,000 euros in… Continue reading Newsletter No 144 of 01 July 2023
• Newsletter No 143 of 24 June 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 143 Homeless with a Future (OMZ) Full of confidence and trust in the city administration, Hans Mörtter wrote three years ago on June 29, 2020: “I’m really happy. Our OB Henriette Reker was on site today and talked to the people, showing a super attitude that had an effect. Martin Stankowski told me about it, that there had never been a OB visit in the long history of squats in Cologne, hats off to Henriette Reker!!! I had two SMS from her today, we are together and there will be a… Continue reading Newsletter No 143 of 24 June 2023
• Newsletter No 142 of 17 June 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 142 OMZ – Marc Kersten on the ongoing lack of clarity.Two weeks after the forced eviction of OMZ, I was with a group of former residents of the self-managed homeless project at 304 Escher Street today to audition for temporary housing. Since May 31, they have been scattered to the winds.Some had occupied a new house the day after the eviction, but this was immediately stopped by the police. Some then moved to the Friedenspark, but were chased away there the next day by the public order office. The administration did… Continue reading Newsletter No 142 of 17 June 2023
• Newsletter No 141 of 10 June 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 141 OMZ, Vacancy and Palmstraße 19On the 9th Housing Project Day in VHS Forum am Neumarkt we want to point out a few special housing projects:a)The project Homeless with a Future (OMZ), which was a beacon of hope in the fight against homelessness.(Marktstraße -> Gummersbacher Straße -> and maybe Winterberger Straße and following)b)The idea to use the vacancies for example of the Russian Federation to fight housing shortage for the accommodation of homeless and refugees.(Friedrich-Engels-Straße 7 / Aachener Straße 240-244 / Classen-Kappelmann-Straße 47)c)The termination of Cologne’s oldest housing project in Palmstraße… Continue reading Newsletter No 141 of 10 June 2023
• Newsletter No 140 of 03 June 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 140 Palmstraße 19Kalle Gerigk had announced a protest rally against the eviction in front of the house for June 1, 2023. To protect the property, the police were on site with a large contingent. For the protection of the people in the OMZ in Gummersbacher Straße one rarely saw such a posse.https://www.express.de/koeln/zwangsraeumung-von-koelns-aeltester-wg-in-der-palmstrasse-583035Cologne’s oldest residential community must move outhttps://www1.wdr.de/nachrichten/rheinland/koeln-aelteste-wohngemeinschaft-kuendigung-100.html Andre Salentin after the eviction of the OMZI am really sorry for my behaviorThat I mention here nowBut somewhere there is also a point before the endNow that the OMZ project is overand… Continue reading Newsletter No 140 of 03 June 2023
• Newsletter No 139 of 27 May 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 139 Wednesday, May 31, 2023 OMZ Open Day.We live in a city where it is possible to spend a billion euros on the renovation of the theater and opera house, while social inequality increases and the poor become more and more and poorer. We live in a city where the police have counted 50 so-called drug-related deaths every year for 20 years. We live in a city that has been calling for a third women’s shelter for 17 years. The two women’s shelters had to turn away 600 requests from women… Continue reading Newsletter No 139 of 27 May 2023
• Newsletter No 138 of 20 May 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 138 Protest rally before the meeting of the Social CommitteeThursday, May 25, 2023, 3 p.m., Theo Burauen Square, City Hall.One of the agenda items will deal with the SPD’s motion to protect families from homelessness, which was brought to the Council last Tuesday by the SPD, and which Elfi Scho justified in an impassioned speech, and which was referred to the Social Committee by the Council majority. The SPD expects that the council majority will reject this motion, since it calls into question the entire homeless policy as it developed in… Continue reading Newsletter No 138 of 20 May 2023
• Newsletter No 137 of 13 May 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation Newsletter137 Protest rally for homeless familiesMay 16, 2023, 3 p.m., Alter Markt in front of City Hall.In the council meeting, the SPD parliamentary group requests that the special situation of families in housing need be brought more into focus in Cologne’s homeless assistance system. The best interests of the child must be given priority in the provision of housing and support services:3.1.7 Motion of the SPD parliamentary group concerning “Be-and homelessness – providing housing for families in housing need.provide.” https://ratsinformation.stadt-koeln.de/getfile.asp?id=931700&type=doSince their eviction in January, the Wienands family has been living in a… Continue reading Newsletter No 137 of 13 May 2023
• Newsletter No 136 of 06 May 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Destruction, Newsletter 136 Rally in front of the Real Estate Fair in the Gürzenich May 6, 2023 at 10 a.m. Last Saturday we stood in front of the villa of the landlords of the house Wallstraße 31, who are to lose their apartments because they are commercial premises. Neighbors of the Graf family in the Hahnwald villa district sympathetically followed our rally inviting the landlords to join us on the street. Rainer Kippe really did this with the tongues of angels and quoted from Article 14 of the Basic Law: “Property is an… Continue reading Newsletter No 136 of 06 May 2023
• Newsletter No 135 of 29 April 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 135 Rally “We don’t want to lose our home! Submit a building application and prevent homelessness!” April 29, 2023, Im Hasengarten 11, Cologne-Hahnwald.About our rally for the tenants of the house Wallstraße 31 in Cologne-Mülheim, many reported, because the scandal is simply not to grasp. Tenants are being asked by the city of Cologne, where there is a housing shortage, to vacate their apartments because the landlord has failed to have the former hotel converted into a normal apartment building. That should have happened 11 years ago when the oldest tenant… Continue reading Newsletter No 135 of 29 April 2023
• Newsletter No 134 of 22 April 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 134 Rally against arbitrariness of authorities22 April 2023, 11 a.m. , Wallstr.31, Cologne-MülheimIn Cologne, tenants are to leave their apartments after more than ten years because the landlords never registered the building as a residential building.https://www.express.de/koeln/wohn-posse-koelner-lebt-13-jahre-in-kneipe-jetzt-droht-aerger-553339andhttps://www.ksta.de/koeln/muelheim/muelheim-veedel/koeln-mietern-eines-hotels-droht-zwangsraeumung-554845Comments on the report of the Stadt-Anzeiger on facebook: Dirk Störck: And once again our “competent” city administration impressively proves that it does not work for, but against the citizens! Instead of intervening here helpfully once again only “negative decided” and “no discretionary scope” is shown! More citizen distance and work refusal does not go! Otti… Continue reading Newsletter No 134 of 22 April 2023
• Newsletter No 133 of 15 April 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 133 Rally against vacancy and gentrification15.04.2023, 11 a.m., Rosenstr.7-9, 50678 Cologne, GermanyThe owner of the house Rosenstr.7-9 was forbidden to turn six apartments into three. The Express reported on February 24, 2022: “Apparently, the structural changes were carried out illegally despite the rejection of the building application. The building inspection office determined in January 2021 that building and statute law had been deliberately violated and that unlawful faits accomplis had been created, for which the builder had now subsequently applied for legalization.”https://www.express.de/koeln/wohnungen-in-koeln-wut-ueber-leerstehendes-haus-in-der-suedstadt-88646?cb=1681200045419Gentrification explained on wikipedia: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/GentrifizierungMichael Schleicher, head of the Cologne… Continue reading Newsletter No 133 of 15 April 2023
• Newsletter No 132 of 08 April 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 132 Rally against forced eviction April 13, 2023, 9:30 a.m. Seidenstr. 4, Cologne-Mülheim.The language of property conveys who is in charge in the city.An excerpt from the bailiff’s letter of March 6, 2023 in this “foreclosure case”: “I will take possession of the property on Thursday, April 13, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.Even without any further court order, I am authorized to forcibly open locked doors and receptacles as well as break any resistance with the help of the police. You will not be authorized to enter the premises after possession has… Continue reading Newsletter No 132 of 08 April 2023
• Newsletter No 131 of 31 March 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 131 The Wienands family and the minimum standards in housing for the homeless “We wanted justice and got the rule of law” (Bärbel Bohley). Contrary to the usual case law throughout Germany, the Cologne Administrative Court had ruled in January that the city of Cologne had to provide a homeless mother with five children with an apartment near her previous place of residence. The accommodation in a homeless hotel is not humane. The search for a suitable apartment should not fail because of money.The Higher Administrative Court of Münster overturned this… Continue reading Newsletter No 131 of 31 March 2023
• Newsletter No 130 of 25 March 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 130 Housing Action DayOn March 25, 2023, initiatives against housing shortages are making their voices heard together in many cities across Europe. The demands include the abolition of homelessness, the immediate suspension of evictions and of electricity, gas and water cuts, consistent vacancy bans in cities and a nationwide rent cap.On this occasion, we will stand in front of two vacant houses on Saturday, March 25, 2023. The Aachener Str.240-244 in Lindenthal belongs like the Friedrich-Engels-Str.7 in Sülz to the Russian Federation. Come by and be there.https://www.housing-action-day.net/ Housing shortage in CologneIn… Continue reading Newsletter No 130 of 25 March 2023
• Newsletter No 129 of 18 March 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 129 Rally against displacement, March 18, 2023, 11 a.m., Kornstr.4The home of the tenants* is in danger.With the help of notices of own need, the landlord wants to DISMISS the house in Karl-Korn-Straße 4 in Cologne’s Südstadt and thus snatches the people from 5 apartments their home of many years.March 16, 2023 by whThe Anno-Riegel was once part of the Stollwerck chocolate factory and was replaced with social housing and condominiums.The rent control for the social housing expired after 30 years at the end of 2021.In 2020, the building was sold… Continue reading Newsletter No 129 of 18 March 2023
• Newsletter No 128 of 11 March 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 128 Rally against vacancy, March 11, 2023, 11 a.m., Neusser Str. 39In the house Neusser Str.39 only one apartment is still inhabited – by the owner of the house.The housing shortage in the city does not interest him.Again and again it was reported about it:13.02.2022Cologne million real estate turn in case ghost house – nevertheless no auction by order of the courthttps://www.express.de/koeln/immobilie-in-koeln-wende-im-fall-geisterhaus-8691204.12.2020Cologne ghost house Instead of auction for 1.6 million – now everything comes differentlyThe former butcher’s shop Kuske has been deserted for about ten years – only the owner of… Continue reading Newsletter No 128 of 11 March 2023
• Newsletter 127 of March 03, 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Destruction, Newsletter 127 Rally against vacancy on March 4, 2023, Deutz-Mülheimer Str.168On Saturday, March 4, 2023 we will meet at 11 a.m. in front of the house Deutz-Mülheimer-Str. 168. On the other side of the street there should have been apartments long ago, but all that can be seen is a huge construction pit and half a shell that has not been worked on for years. We demand that the city brings the properties back into municipal ownership and commissions the GAG and cooperatives to build social housing there.The city leadership around Mayor… Continue reading Newsletter 127 of March 03, 2023
• Newsletter 126 of February 25, 2023
  Action alliance against housing shortage and city destruction, circular 126 Rally against vacancy on February 25 at 11 am, Glasstraße 6.The Left in the Ehrenfeld district council on 07 May 2018:“In the Ehrenfeld district alone, the houses Glasstraße 6, Hansemannstraße 49 and Senefelderstraße 74 have already been empty for years. This must be changed!Resolution:The administration is instructed to,(1) to convert vacancies that existed before the housing protection statute came into force into residential use by means of building bids in accordance with § 176 of the German Building Code (BauGB)(2) to issue building bans for the vacancies at Glasstraße 6,… Continue reading Newsletter 126 of February 25, 2023
• Newsletter 125 of February 17, 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Destruction, Newsletter 125 Rally against vacancy: February 25, 2023 at 11 a.m. in front of the house Glasstr.6.Our tour through the vacancy in Cologne leads us after Friedrich-Engels-Str, 7 and Engelbertstr.37 to Ehrenfeld.Although in Cologne over 5000 dwellings stand empty, social departmental head Dr. Rau maintains that the housing market in Cologne does not permit it to accommodate the homeless in lockable single rooms and in dwellings. In view of the need and the misery on the street, this is not acceptable. The apartments, which have been vacant for years, must be requisitioned… Continue reading Newsletter 125 of February 17, 2023
• Newsletter 124 of February 10, 2023
  Rally against evictions and vacanciesand for the accommodationof all homeless people in lockable single rooms We insist on housing all homeless people in lockable single rooms. We insist on the conversion of all multi-bed rooms in the emergency shelters into lockable single rooms.To emphasize this, last Saturday we stood in front of the empty 80 apartments in Friedrich-Engels-Strasse for the last time for the time being. We will protest against the vacancy in the coming months on Saturdays from 11 am from week to week in front of other vacant apartments and houses.On Saturday, February 11, 2023 we will be… Continue reading Newsletter 124 of February 10, 2023
• Newsletter 123 of February 4, 2023
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban degradation, newsletter 123 Rally against housing shortage and forced evictionsIn order to continue to make public in the urban society that the abolition of homelessness does not have to be a long-term matter, we will again stand in front of the house with the 80 vacant apartments in Friedrich-Engels-Strasse 7 on Saturday, February 4, starting at 11 a.m. But we will not stop there. Every Saturday we want to protest in front of another vacancy and demand the seizure and housing of homeless people. In Cologne, more than 5000 apartments are vacant.The Action… Continue reading Newsletter 123 of February 4, 2023
• Newsletter 122 of January 28, 2023
  Winands family still waiting for a suitable apartmenthttps://www.express.de/koeln/obdachlose-familie-zwangsgeld-gegen-die-stadt-koeln-beantragt-418845 Housing shortageOn the past Sunday, 22.January 2022, the picture on Sunday on the sides 10 – 12 titelte: HOUSING EMERGENCY. In the Federal Republic 700,000 dwellings are missing.Falling new construction figures: Federal Minister of Construction Geywitz considers the target of 400,000 apartments per year achievable in 2024 at the earliesthttps://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/klara-geywitz-haelt-ziel-von-400-000-wohnungen-fruehestens-2024-fuer-erreichbar-a-f8ba0d08-468c-4add-849c-e30f5df8e11fReal estate industry expects ten years of housing shortagehttps://www.report-k.de/immobilienwirtschaft-erwartet-zehn-jahre-wohnungsnot/The Cologne Round Table announced in July 2022 with its study “Equal Opportunities in the Housing Market” that Cologne lacks 86,008 apartments. https://www.rundertischkoeln.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Chancengerechtgkeit-auf-dem-Wohnungsmarkt.pdf (see p.20)Although social inequality continues to increase and, as a result, the… Continue reading Newsletter 122 of January 28, 2023
• Newsletter 121 of January 21, 2023
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban degradation, newsletter 121 WHO CAN HELP: SIX HEADS NEED A HOME! The Winands family is homeless. The city wants to deport them to a shelter in Ehrenfeld. But the Winands are at home in Porz, where their children go to daycare and school. The city does not want to rent anything, but is willing to pay the costs for a temporary accommodation – so it is not because of the money! We ask all readers to look for a suitable apartment with us.  Also an accommodation for only a few days is helpful.… Continue reading Newsletter 121 of January 21, 2023
• Newsletter 120 of 13 January 2023
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 120Lockable single rooms for all those living on the streetAt the end of the year, two homeless people died in the Vorgebirgsstraße emergency shelter.Only report-k reported on it: “Two deaths in one day: Südstadt facility causes concern”.https://www.report-k.de/zwei-todesfaelle-an-einem-tag-suedstadt-einrichtung-bereitet-sorgen/The social administration has commissioned the Society for Innovative Social Research and Social Planning (Gesellschaft für innovative Sozialforschung und Sozialplanung, GISS) to conduct a survey on the living situation of homeless and houseless people in Cologne and to develop recommendations for action so that Cologne’s assistance system can be more needs-based.However, the Cologne City Council… Continue reading Newsletter 120 of 13 January 2023
• Newsletter 119 of 06 January 2023
  Action Alliance against Homelessness and Urban Degradation Abolish homelessness at lastA report by Hans Mörtter There is room!!! – I didn’t want to take photos. I was out early in the morning of 4 Jan with employees of the public order office around the cathedral area.The idea was to wake people up so that they would leave their night-time accommodation, which would “disturb” them during the day ….. I was impressed by the respectful and familiar way in which the public order officers dealt with each other.They know about each other and that it is like this every morning.“Every day… Continue reading Newsletter 119 of 06 January 2023
• Newsletter 118 of December 30, 2022
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban degradation, circular 118 For a city without homelessnessFor a city without evictionsFor a city without drug deathsFor a city without violence against women and childrenFor a city without deportationsFor a city without poverty All year long these demands were at the end of our newsletters. In this last newsletter of the year, we have made it the headline because we need to act more decisively for this in 2023.    Throughout the year, we have demonstrated in front of Council and Social Committee meetings for the placement of all homeless people in lockable… Continue reading Newsletter 118 of December 30, 2022
• Newsletter 114 of December 3, 2022
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban degradation, circular 114 Substitute imprisonment – fighting against the poor, instead of fighting against poverty Those who are sentenced to a fine and do not pay go to jail. The women and men concerned were sentenced to a fine because the offenses they were charged with were more or less minor: minor property offenses, drug possession and driving without a ticket. Moderated by Martin Stankowski, Dr. Nicole Bögelein from the Institute of Criminology at Cologne University, Petra Hastenteufel from the OASE and former NRW Minister of Justice Dr. Peter Biesenbach provided information about… Continue reading Newsletter 114 of December 3, 2022
• Newsletter 111 of November 12, 2022
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban destruction, newsletter 111 Voices of the homeless in the arena on Nov. 10, 2022 at 30 Years of Ass Huh: Melissa Linda Rennings and Rainer Kippe Moderator: Linda, on your sweater it says “Streetwork”, one can see directly what you do. You work on the streets with homeless people, especially with women and girls. What is the situation here in Cologne for women and girls on the streets? Linda: There are no statistics. The proportion of men is very high, that of women is small, but in recent years women have caught up.… Continue reading Newsletter 111 of November 12, 2022
• Newsletter 110 of November 5, 2022
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban degradation, circular 110 Drug addiction and homelessness VISION e.V.. the Cologne association for accepting drug work, celebrated the Memorial Day for deceased female drug users for the 25th time on July 21, 2022. “Female drug users possess a right to human dignity just like all other people. They do not have to earn it by becoming abstinent and conforming.”https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akzeptierende_Drogenarbeit A total of 1,190 women and men died in Cologne in the past 25 years as a result of their use of illegalized substances. For us 1,190 are more than clear arguments for a… Continue reading Newsletter 110 of November 5, 2022
• Newsletter 106 of October 8, 2022
  Action alliance against housing shortage and urban degradation, newsletter 106 “Reker is not interested in building”. – is the title of the interview with Daniel Arnold in the business section of the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger on page 9 of October 7, 2022. In view of the housing shortage, the chairman of the supervisory board and shareholder of “Deutsche Reihenhaus AG” also claims “You can’t win an election with housing.” The Stadtanzeiger simply lets this pass – instead of reminding who all from the profit-oriented Cologne housing industry campaigned for the election of Ms. Reker as OB. In the interview, Mr. Arnold… Continue reading Newsletter 106 of October 8, 2022
• Newsletter 105 – 01 October 2022
  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… Continue reading Newsletter 105 – 01 October 2022
• Newsletter 104 – 24 September 2022
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 104 Housing shortage in Cologne – Greens, CDU and Volt let it happen If you want to prevent homelessness, you have to stop forced evictions. Current figures from Cologne: in 2020, there were 1,728 evictions and in 2021, 1,589 apartments were evicted.https://berichte-landtag.nrw.de/uploads/345/KA%20345.pdf The Rosa-Luxemburg-Gesprächskreis Sülz-Klettenberg (Cologne) in cooperation with Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung NRW invited to an event on the topic of housing shortage at Café Lamertin on 20.09.2022. Speakers were Michael Weisenstein, council member for Die Linke and Kalle Gerigk from “Recht auf Stadt”.https://nrw.rosalux.de/veranstaltung/es_detail/26NBT/wohnungsnot-in-koeln-%E2%80%93-was-kann-die-stadt-tun?cHash=d2f1090cc18ef70648cb5442e54d902e Mayor Reker agreed on the Cologne Housing Alliance with… Continue reading Newsletter 104 – 24 September 2022
• Newsletter 104 -24 September 2022
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 104 Housing shortage in Cologne – Greens, CDU and Volt let it happen If you want to prevent homelessness, you have to stop forced evictions. Current figures from Cologne: in 2020, there were 1,728 evictions and in 2021, 1,589 apartments were evicted.https://berichte-landtag.nrw.de/uploads/345/KA%20345.pdf The Rosa-Luxemburg-Gesprächskreis Sülz-Klettenberg (Cologne) in cooperation with Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung NRW invited to an event on the topic of housing shortage at Café Lamertin on 20.09.2022. Speakers were Michael Weisenstein, council member for Die Linke and Kalle Gerigk from “Recht auf Stadt”.https://nrw.rosalux.de/veranstaltung/es_detail/26NBT/wohnungsnot-in-koeln-%E2%80%93-was-kann-die-stadt-tun?cHash=d2f1090cc18ef70648cb5442e54d902e Mayor Reker agreed on the Cologne Housing Alliance with… Continue reading Newsletter 104 -24 September 2022
• OMZ unforgotten
  Yesterday, 22.09.2022, the Pioneer Park was inaugurated in Südstadt with access via Bischofsweg 48-50. The name is provisional. On the website for this project, there is a photo of the site from a bird’s eye view on the home page: https://www.parkstadt-sued.de/. At the lower end of the park in the direction of Bonner Straße are large piles of earth and behind them a fence separating the area, which has not yet been landscaped, from the Pioneer Park.This was the site of the administration building that was occupied by homeless people at the beginning of the pandemic two years ago. They… Continue reading OMZ unforgotten
• Newsletter 102, 10 September 2022
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 102 The NRW alliance “We want to live!” is sounding the alarm. The stock of publicly subsidised housing has already been reduced from around 1.4 million to less than 450,000. According to NRW.BANK’s calculations, 46% of these will fall out of the subsidised housing stock by 2030. The state government’s intention to create 45,000 new socially subsidised flats by 2027 will not be able to stop this development. Despite high demand, fewer and fewer subsidised flats will be available in the future. In many large cities in NRW, about 50 per… Continue reading Newsletter 102, 10 September 2022
• Newsletter 101 of September 3, 2022
  Social inequality and refugees and homeless people in Cologne “How is there to be a city without anti-Semitism, without racism and without sexism if social inequality continues to increase? How is universal fear to disappear from the city as long as people fall through the meshes of the social net into the bottomless pit?” (On 5 August 2020, these questions were at the end of our daily report from the vigil against housing shortages at Alter Markt. To be read in the book RatSchläge gegen Wohnungsnot und Stadtzerstörung, Weissmann Verlag, Cologne 2020, p.17). At 1.50 a.m. on Monday, two men… Continue reading Newsletter 101 of September 3, 2022
• Newsletter 103 – 17 September 2022
  Action Alliance against Housing Shortage and Urban Degradation, Newsletter 103Protest and resistance against rising living costsAt the European Summer University of Social Movements in August, the Forum on Capitalism addressed the question of whether we are witnessing a transition to a new form of development of capitalism. And if so, what form will it take?Speakers were Frank Deppe from Philipps University Marburg, Julia Eder from Johannes Kepler University Linz and Dominique Plihon from Sorbonne University Paris-Nord. https://www.esu22.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/Kampagnen/ESU22/Downloads/Programm_ESU_2022_D_web.pdfThe three agreed that in the current market capitalism of the West, the state is intervening more and more, technologies such as digitalisation are… Continue reading Newsletter 103 – 17 September 2022
• Defund the Ordnungsamt
  The Kölnische Rundschau reported on 14 January 2016 from the Deutsche Bank’s New Year’s reception under “streamlining and harmonisation” that further branches would be closed. It was fitting that Lord Mayor Henriette Reker, who was greeted with applause, called for more staff for the police and judiciary. She also invited those present to join her in strengthening Cologne as a business location, saying that this was the “most impressive social policy there is”. The strengthening of Cologne as a business location promoted by Ms Reker did not become “the most impressive social policy there is.” For lack of space, the… Continue reading Defund the Ordnungsamt
• Newsletter 100 of 27 August 2022
  [Abolish Homelessness – Finland and Germany] – [For a City without Poverty] – [Programmes, News] – [Recommended Reading] – [Dates]. Abolishing homelessness – Finland and Germany Finland as a role model The editors of the Hamburg street newspaper “HinzundKunzt” noticed during their visit to Helsinki that they did not see any homeless people on the streets. Finland is the only EU country where the number of homeless people is decreasing year by year. At the end of the 1980s, the country with its good five million inhabitants still counted 20,000 homeless people; today, less than 4,000 have no home of… Continue reading Newsletter 100 of 27 August 2022
• Newsletter 99 of 22 August 2022
  1 Josef Berditchevski On 17 August 2022, the Stadt-Anzeiger headlined its article about the story of the musician Josef Berichevski, who was shot on 3 August 2022, with “Death on notice” and in the subtitle with “the story of a failure” it refers to an interpretation that we do not share. He did not shoot himself. Shouldn’t we first and foremost speak of the failure of the police operation when its result is the death of a tenant? https://www.ksta.de/koeln/erschossener-mieter-in-koeln-tod-mit-ansage—das-ende-eines-gescheiterten-lebens-39881256 The day before, the Stadt-Anzeiger podcast was already announced like this: “Fatal police shooting in Ostheim: Did tenant want to die?”… Continue reading Newsletter 99 of 22 August 2022
• Invitation
  Saturday, 20 August 2022 – 11:11 a.m. – Vigil – Vacancy – Rally Because we do not simply accept vacancy, we meet every Saturday at 11:11 am for a rally in front of the vacant houses of the Russian Federation in Friedrich Engels Straße/ corner of Berrenrather Straße in Cologne-Sülz.Next Saturday, 20 August 2022, we expect as guests: Konrad Adenauer, Chairman of the Haus- und Grundbesitzerverein, Jürgen Becker, cabaret artist, Professor Jürgen Bremer, petitioner for the expropriation of the houses, Franz-Xaver Corneth, Chairman of the Tenants’ Association, Franz Meurer, parish priest of St. Elisabeth and St. Theodor in Vingst, Martin… Continue reading Invitation
• Mourning rally for Josef Berditchevski
  Kalle Gerigk had announced the mourning rally that took place yesterday in front of the house Gernsheimer Straße 17 in Cologne-Ostheim. This was the home of Jouzef Berditchevski, who was shot by two police officers on 3 August 2022 when he was to be evicted and resisted. Before the rally, an article by Andi Goral had appeared on report-k.de in the morning, which gave a different picture of the killed street musician than what had come from the other Cologne media until then. https://www.report-k.de/polizei-erschiesst-mieter-in-ostheim-er-war-koelner-strassenmusiker-und-spielte-vor-der-philharmonie/            

 Particularly impressive in the article by Andi Goral is the link to a “hier und heute”… Continue reading Mourning rally for Josef Berditchevski
• Newsletter 97 of 6 August 2022
  (1) [Fatal Forced Embrace] – (2)[3,000 new social housing units for Cologne every year] – (3)[When will refugees and the homeless be treated equally] – (4)[For a city without violence against women and children] – (5) [Programmes, reports, news] – (a)[Housing construction in Cologne since 2010] – (b)[Vonovia] – (c)[Stern-TV] – (d)[Berlin tenants] – (e)[Vacant flats in Stuttgard] – (f)[Vacancy rate] – (g) [Kunst-trotz(t)-ausgrenzung.de/] – (6) [Reading recommendations] – (7)[Dates] – [8 October – National Day of Action] 1st Fatal Eviction Mourning rally “Forced evictions destroy lives” 6 August 2022, 2 – 5 p.m., Gernsheimer straße 17 Dear City Gazette,… Continue reading Newsletter 97 of 6 August 2022
• Vigil photo gallery
  Galeria zdjęć z czuwania Galerie foto de la priveghi Photos of our action days Zdjęcia z naszych dni akcji Fotografii din zilele noastre de acțiune 2 April 2022 2 kwietnia 2022 r.2 aprilie 2022 9 April 2022 9 kwietnia 2022 r.9 aprilie 2022 25 June and 23 July 2022 25 czerwca i 23 lipca 2022 r.25 iunie și 23 iulie 2022 16 und 30 April 2022 16 i 30 kwietnia 2022 r.16 și 30 aprilie 2022 4 June 2022 Third occupation of the Russian Federation vacancy at Friedrich-Engels-Strasse 7 4 czerwca 2022 r. Trzecia okupacja wolnego miejsca w Federacji Rosyjskiej… Continue reading Vigil photo gallery
• newsletter 95 – 16 July 2022
  Social housing for Cologne When we talk about social housing, we say it like the urban researcher Hartmut Häußermann: “Social housing follows a simple idea: poor people should live well. The Bauhaus motto, on the other hand, says: We adapt the houses to poverty. That is, to put it kindly, a questionable idea.”https://www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesellschaft/sozialer-staedtebau-wie-reiche-die-armen-aus-den-staedten-verdraengen-a-564649.html The Stadt-Anzeiger headlined in its local section “High building costs. What can Cologne still afford?” instead of asking why the city doesn’t build itself when profit-oriented investors stop working as soon as profits fall.Rising building costs jeopardise projectshttps://www.ksta.de/koeln/-krise-wirkt-sich-massiv-aus–hohe-baukosten–was-kann-sich-koeln-noch-leisten–39804134 Let’s imagine that the opposition in the council starts… Continue reading newsletter 95 – 16 July 2022
• Newsletter 94 of 9 July 2022
  European Platform to tackle homelessness  One year ago, all 27 EU member states committed to concrete measures to combat homelessness at the conference in Lisbon – By 2030, no one in the EU should have to live on the streets anymore. According to the EU Commission, around 700,000 people in the EU currently sleep on the streets every night – 70 percent more than 10 years ago. The “Lisbon Declaration on the European Platform against Homelessness” sets out the following 5 goals: No one should have to live on the streets for lack of accessible, safe and suitable emergency accommodation.… Continue reading Newsletter 94 of 9 July 2022
• Newsletter 93 of 2 July 2022
  Helping and political work  Poverty makes you sick and illness makes you poor. For decades, my most important concern has been to bring this deplorable state of affairs into the public eye and to try to give affected people back a piece of dignity as a social worker and doctor. (Gerhard Trabert) https://gerhardtrabert.de/ Prof. Dr. Gerhard Trabert, doctor for the homeless and the association Poverty and Health.Doctor for the homeless for over 25 years. An interview (25 minutes) with the youtube channel Strassenleben: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtJtwlbGT4w    Gerhard Trabert had run for the election of the Federal President for the Left Party. … Continue reading Newsletter 93 of 2 July 2022