North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister for Municipal Affairs, Ina Scharrenbach, has called on the federal government to grant municipalities greater authority in addressing the issue of derelict and substandard properties.
Speaking to the “Rheinische Post” Minister Scharrenbach emphasized the importance of property rights, but argued that a municipal right of first refusal – allowing local governments priority in purchasing properties – would be a significant tool in tackling the proliferation of so-called “scrapple properties” (Schrottimmobilien). She pointed out that current regulations, such as those concerning housing cooperatives, effectively prohibit municipalities from exercising this right.
The Minister cited the lengthy, 30-year process Gladbeck undertook to acquire and demolish the building associated with the Gladbeck hostage crisis as a prime example of the challenges faced. Similarly, the iconic “White Giant” structures in Duisburg are fragmented into individual ownership, hindering redevelopment efforts.
Minister Scharrenbach urged the federal government to acknowledge the difficulties experienced by cities and towns and to take decisive action. She warned that failure to do so risks enabling the exploitation of existing legal loopholes by those who benefit from the current situation.
