Düsseldorf (dpa/lnw) – Under the motto “Hands up for affordable housing”, hundreds of people want to take part in the nationwide day of action for a rent freeze in several cities in North Rhine-Westphalia on Saturday. During the action of the alliance “Mietenstopp”, to which the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) belongs, for example, rallies and information stands are to be used to draw attention to the current situation on the rental market in Düsseldorf, Bochum and Bonn.
“In many North Rhine-Westphalian cities, rents are going through the roof,” said the chairwoman of the DGB NRW, Anja Weber, according to the announcement. “Affordable rental apartments are scarce in many regions,” she emphasized. The situation for tenants has also worsened due to rising energy prices. The DGB therefore demands a ban on terminating leases and blocking energy. “We finally need the announced energy price cap for electricity and gas so that nobody has to freeze in winter.”
In the state capital of Düsseldorf, the average price per square meter is now 11.58 euros. In 2016, this was still EUR 9.80, which corresponds to an increase of almost 18.2 percent. The association is therefore demanding a six-year rent freeze from the federal government. In this case, rent increases are to be suspended in regions with a tight housing market. During this time, above all, new affordable housing must be built. The state of North Rhine-Westphalia also has a duty here, said Weber.
