Leftists warn against privatization of apartments

The Left Party warns against further privatization of municipal housing and proposes a different approach. According to the proposal, it should be possible for cities and municipalities or their companies to buy back housing stock via a "remunicipalization and support fund". The fund could also help housing companies in the event of a crisis, explained Juliane Nagel, member of the state parliament. Due to financial difficulties and old debts from the period after 1990, many municipal and cooperative providers are under great financial pressure.

Left: Tenants are the ones who suffer from privatization

Nagel referred to the insolvency of housing companies and the sale of municipal apartments in Hainichen, Crimmitschau, Klingenthal and Königswartha, for example. "The ones who suffer from every privatization are the tenants, even in the long term. The new private owners want to siphon off money above all else," says Nagel. Refurbishment and maintenance are delayed and landlords are often unreachable. There is always the threat of the heat and water supply being cut off.

Leftists call for the old debts of municipal companies to be written off

"The ongoing sell-off of public real estate is a mistake and must be stopped urgently. It is time to support buybacks by local authorities, for example at a federal level through a waiver of old debts for municipal housing companies," emphasized Caren Lay, the spokesperson for rental and housing policy for the left-wing parliamentary group in the Bundestag. Where necessary, large real estate companies with more than 3,000 apartments should be expropriated.

"Although the sale of apartments or company shares promises short-term relief, it is the wrong approach. Local authorities lose important control options at the expense of rental households," argued Nagel. Current examples clearly show this. Housing belongs in public or public welfare-oriented hands.