What do you do when corporate landlords are buying up your city? Expropriate them! That’s the purpose of our campaign, Deutsche Wohnen & Co. Enteignen. We are demanding a referendum on the expropriation of all profit-oriented landlords with more than 3,000 apartments and their socialization into a democratically-run, publicly-owned housing agency.
You know why: over the last 10 years, Berlin’s rents have doubled. The effects have been harrowing: massive displacement and gentrification throughout the city and the destruction of generations of communities and lifestyles in neighborhoods like Kreuzberg, Neukölln, and Friedrichshain. Over the same period, these megalandlords have more than doubled their size. What’s worse? Much of their stock used to be public, with landlords like Deutsche Wohnen getting their start from massive privatization firesales.
We want to turn the tide: through socialization, the city would massively increase its public housing stock, ensuring that these apartments remain affordable in perpetuity. And that all of Berlin remains liveable for everyone, rather than becoming a segregated city like Paris or London.
Want to help the campaign? The second phase of signature collection may start in the next months. You can get involved at mitmachen@dwenteignen.de.
