Luigi Pantisano, the chairman of the Left Party, has called for a legal right to housing to be enshrined in Germany’s Basic Law, asserting that the right to a home is a fundamental human right. Speaking to the “Rheinische Post” (Wednesday edition), Pantisano added that apartments should not be treated as speculative assets traded on the stock market.
To counter, in his view, the failures of the federal government’s housing policy, Pantisano proposes starting efforts at the state level. He stated his ambition to work with Elif Eralp to place her as the Governing Mayor of Berlin, promising that they would first make the capital city more affordable.
Furthermore, Pantisano urged the federal government not to reduce housing benefits (Wohngeld). He warned that rolling back the benefits would be “fatal,” noting that these subsidies had previously been increased and expanded under the current coalition (“Ampel”) specifically to assist those struggling with soaring rent costs. Beyond financial guarantees, Pantisano demanded that municipalities be properly equipped so they can process housing benefit applications quickly. He stressed that the current issue of applications taking a year or more to process is unacceptable, arguing that the handling time should not exceed three months.
