The head of the Paritätischen Gesamtverband, Joachim Rock, has called for an emergency program to combat homelessness. “The extent of homelessness documented in the current report of the federal government is dramatic” he told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (Thursday editions).
The number of over 531,000 homeless people shows that the federal government’s strategy to overcome homelessness by 2030 has failed. “Outdated social bonds in housing stock and the imminent expiration of the rent brake will further exacerbate the situation” he warned. “Federal, state, and local governments are now required to develop an emergency program against homelessness and for affordable housing” Rock said, including massive investments in municipal housing stock and funding for non-profit landlords.
To prevent homelessness from arising, the head of the German Tenants’ Association, Melanie Weber-Moritz, is calling for a rent law reform. “According to the report, almost 40% of the homeless lost their apartments due to rent arrears” she told RND. “That would be avoidable for many if the right course were set in rent law. We are therefore demanding an improvement in the notice of termination and, in particular, the healing of the grace period for the payment of outstanding amounts to prevent terminations due to rent arrears by paying the outstanding amounts within a grace period” Weber-Moritz said. The rent brake must also be urgently extended and improved.
The housing policy spokesperson for the Left in the Bundestag, Caren Lay, shares a similar view. “Every case of homelessness and homelessness is one too many and a shame for this rich country. Homelessness and homelessness must not exist” Lay said. “The government has missed the opportunity to implement effective measures to achieve the goal of overcoming homelessness by 2030.