Left: Housing refugees in vacant apartments

The Left Party believes that housing refugees in apartments is the best solution. It is regrettable if the people concerned have to live in shared accommodation even though apartments are empty, explained Juliane Nagel, member of the state parliament in Dresden. Having your own living space is the basis for a self-determined life and rapid integration into the world of work and the community. "The high vacancy rates in many municipalities in particular show that there is potential for decentralized accommodation. It should be used."

Lots of space in vacant apartments

Nagel, spokesperson for her parliamentary group for housing policy, had requested figures on the subject from the responsible ministry. According to these figures, there are many vacancies in communal accommodation and apartments.

In Chemnitz, less than half of the accommodation is occupied and just under 58 percent of the apartments are occupied, it said. The occupancy rate of rented apartments is also low in the Vogtland district (55 percent) and in Dresden (58 percent).

Housing problem in Leipzig

"The district of Bautzen continues to be the negative leader in the decentralized accommodation of refugees: only 18 percent of refugees there live in apartments, although there is no shortage of housing in the district," the left-wing parliamentary group said. In Leipzig, on the other hand, more than 1,500 refugees have to stay in shared accommodation due to a lack of affordable housing.

"While wars and crises escalate, the number of refugees making it to Germany and Saxony is stagnating at a low level. Our country is closing itself off. Yet there is space in shared accommodation and apartments in many districts," concluded Nagel.