Housing policy - People criticize the concept of moving from the city to the countryside
The Left members in the Saxon Parliament see good living conditions on the countryside as the reason why people should move from the city to the province. The deputy Juliane Nagel addressed plans by Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure Klara Geywitz (SPD). Geywitz wants to encourage people to move from the cities to the countryside or smaller towns due to housing shortages in the metropolises. "People cannot be moved like chess pieces on a map. They move where they have the greatest chances for a good life", explained Nagel.
"The Federal Minister is shifting responsibility for the fact that only people with deep wallets can freely decide where they want to live. And Saxony's Minister of Transport Thomas Schmidt (CDU) is expecting more engagement from the federal level again. This is not without a certain humor, considering that the CDU has not managed to make rural life more attractive in almost three and a half decades of power", emphasized the Left deputy.
The federal government and the state of Saxony could make rural life more attractive with many means, according to Nagel. "This can be achieved with kindergarten provision, enough school places and job opportunities, good transport connections and social infrastructure – from doctors' practices and hospitals to shopping opportunities and culture."
Without fast internet access, all hope for working from home is in vain. All this can be promoted stateally. However, the coalition of CDU Minister-President Michael Kretschmer has not really made progress in this regard. At the same time, social housing construction is stagnating in the cities, while rent and land prices are rising even in the suburbs.
Geywitz announced over the weekend that she would present a strategy against vacancies by the end of the year. "The potential is great in small and medium-sized towns because they also have kindergartens, schools, shopping opportunities and doctors", said the SPD politician to the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung". Nearly two million housing units in Germany are vacant. Homeoffice and digitalization are now bringing completely new opportunities for living and working in rural areas.
- The Left in the Saxon Parliament criticizes Clara Geywitz (SPD), the Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, for suggesting that people move from cities to the countryside due to housing shortages, arguing that people should not be treated like chess pieces and moved based on chance for a good life.
- Geywitz plans to present a strategy against vacancies by the end of the year, highlighting the potential in small and medium-sized towns for living and working due to their availability of kindergartens, schools, shopping opportunities, and doctors.
- The CDU, led by Minister-President Michael Kretschmer, has not made significant progress in promoting rural life or addressing stagnating social housing construction in cities, despite rising rent and land prices in suburbs.
- Juliane Nagel, the Left deputy, suggests that the federal government and the state of Saxony could make rural life more attractive by providing kindergarten provision, enough school places, job opportunities, good transport connections, and social infrastructure to support living and working in rural areas.
- In an effort to promote working from home, the availability of fast internet access is crucial. However, social housing construction in cities is stagnating, resulting in rising rent and land prices even in suburban areas, which the Left party finds concerning.
