Housing regulations or guidelines - Thousands of individuals gather to protest soaring rental costs.
On Saturday, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Berlin to protest high rental costs. Their demands included a dramatic shift in housing policies, the introduction of a nationwide rent cap, implementing the "Deutsche Wohnen & Co expropriate" referendum, and a ban on self-help evictions and forced evictions.
The rally began in the afternoon at Potsdamer Platz and continued to Air Bridge Square. The "Rent Madness Alliance" led the event. Law enforcement estimated the turnout at around 4,000 attendees, while the organizers claimed there were 12,000 participants.
The alliance criticized the politics in place, asserting that it was not addressing the root causes of the housing crisis. Instead, politicians were actively creating conditions for higher rents to boost the economy's profits. Sanna Raab from the alliance urged the government to fund the construction of new apartments with taxpayer money instead of relying on private investors. "New construction must be municipally-owned, community-focused, and social, with rents priced for the people, not the market," she stated in Tagesspiegel.
Rally Interview Tagesspiegel: Rent Madness Alliance
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Due to the rising rental costs, the housing policy in Berlin has become a topic of intense debate. On the proposed referendum to expropriate large housing companies like Deutsche Wohnen & Co, demonstrators advocated for a stronger government role in housing, calling for the construction of new, affordable apartments funded by taxpayer money.
In the wake of high rental prices and the forthcoming referendum, last Saturday saw a massive demonstration in Berlin, featuring calls to revise housing policies, establish a nationwide rent cap, and halt self-help and forced evictions.
