- Schweitzer advocates for equal living standards
New Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate, Alexander Schweitzer (SPD), highlighted that he'll focus on equalizing urban and rural living standards. This encompasses housing, he clarified in an interview with the German Press Agency in Mainz. "We need uniformity and equity, rural areas shouldn't be viewed as extensions of urban centers, and I don't want that perception to emerge."
Equating living standards doesn't imply identical living conditions, Schweitzer pointed out. "While life may vary between a South West Palatinate village and Mainz Neustadt, the opportunities should be equally distributed despite these differences."
No housing vacancies exist in rural areas.
The Federal Minister of Housing, Klara Geywitz, aims to decrease bureaucracy to stimulate more construction projects. The SPD representative has instigated a revision of the Building Code, ensuring future construction projects can be completed more swiftly and sustainably, considering climate change factors such as integrating more green roofs. Geywitz also hopes to entice more people to relocate from metropolitan areas to suburbs or smaller towns due to the housing deficit.
"Support for affordable housing is crucial for families with children, innovative living arrangements like community living, and barrier-free housing," stated Schweitzer. "Affordable housing is needed in both urban and rural areas. It's essential in rural areas too. There are no vacancies in rural areas."
Despite Geywitz's efforts to reduce bureaucracy and encourage construction in suburbs and smaller towns, Schweitzer emphasizes the necessity of affordable housing in rural Germany as well, acknowledging there are no vacancies in these areas.
Germany, with its urban centers like Mainz Neustadt and rural areas like South West Palatinate villages, should prioritize equal housing opportunities for its residents, as proposed by both Schweitzer and Geywitz.
