From Friedrich Engel’s series ‘Zur Wohnungsfrage‘ to the decision of Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court on the #Berlin #RentCap last week: housing was and remains one of the crucial social issues of our time.
Together with Andrej Holm, we discuss the social and political consequences of the Court’s decision that the Berlin state government had no right to impose a rent cap in the German capital. Therefore, we explore the history of #Mietendeckel, rising rents, and growing housing #activism in Berlin that led to the legislation in the first place. We debate the effects the rent cap had on rents, the housing market and what it meant for people living and renting in the city. Andrej discusses the implications that the ruling has for the left-wing coalition in Berlin, for urban activism, and transformative approaches.
Our guest:
Andrej Holm
Andrej holds a doctorate in social science and is a research assistant at the Humboldt University in Berlin. His topics are urban and housing policy and associated social conflicts. In his research projects, he has dealt with urban renewal, gentrification and forced evictions, among other things. In addition to his academic work at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, he has been involved in neighbourhood initiatives and tenants’ organisations for over 25 years and actively campaigns for the right to housing.