Green Party leader Felix Banaszak argued that merely increasing the construction of new housing will not solve the severe affordability crisis facing residents in major cities, arguing for significantly stricter market regulation alongside building initiatives. Speaking to RTL and ntv on Thursday, Banaszak emphasized that the belief that simply constructing more units will solve the problem of people who can no longer afford housing is incorrect.
He pointed out the drastic cost pressures in metropolises such as Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, and Cologne, where rents have nearly doubled over the past decade. This forces many to pay double or even triple the previous amount for much smaller living spaces. For Banaszak, regulation must occur in parallel with construction efforts.
While acknowledging that discussions are beginning within the cabinet-for instance, concerning index rents-he criticized the current complexity, noting that most tenants would struggle to identify their exact rights between themselves and their landlord. Furthermore, he highlighted loopholes that undermine regulatory efforts. He warned that landlords still have enough incentives, such as adding furniture to a vacant unit, to circumvent complete rent control measures.
According to Banaszak, the current incentive structure even encourages landlords to intentionally keep housing units empty, waiting for a few years before renting them out at an inflated price. He concluded that while the steps taken by the federal government are moving in the right general direction, they are far too hesitant to match the urgency of a housing crisis, which fundamentally represents one of the defining social issues of our time.
