Opinions on housing companies
Commission considers expropriation possible in Berlin
6/28/2023, 4:57 p.m
In 2021, a majority in Berlin will vote for the nationalization of apartments from large corporations. The Senate sets up a commission of experts, which is now presenting its report. She considers the project to be feasible. However, the new state government thinks little of this.
The expert commission set up by the Senate for the socialization of large housing companies in Berlin has its final report handed over to the Governing Mayor Kai Wegner. In it, the committee comes to the conclusion that the socialization of large housing companies in Berlin is possible. This was preceded by a successful referendum in Berlin in September 2021, in which a majority voted for the socialization of real estate companies in the federal capital. Wegner continues to reject the merger of large real estate groups. “It’s no secret that I was always skeptical when it came to socialization,” said the CDU politician. “I still think socialization is the wrong way.”
Wegner referred to, in his view, many legal points that should continue to be observed. He will take a close look at the report, “then conclusions must be drawn”. Commission chair Herta Däubler-Gmelin said “it was not our job to make a political assessment”. Nor was it the task to draw or predict possible conclusions. “All of this is a matter for those involved and, of course, for the Berlin Senate,” said the former SPD federal justice minister. “We have limited ourselves to the difficult and constitutional issues and hope that we have been able to make a number of recommendations.”
“Very Important Questions”
The report is a good 150 pages long. “It wouldn’t have been worth filling up so many pages if it wasn’t about very important issues,” said Däubler-Gmelin. The possibility of socialization according to paragraph 15 of the Basic Law has not yet been used. That is why the discussion of the expert commission, which started its work in April 2022, took so long.
The referendum “Expropriate Deutsche Wohnen & Co.” took place in September 2021 at the same time as the Berlin parliamentary elections – at the time, a majority voted for the nationalization of apartments belonging to large corporations. The then red-green-red Senate then set up the expert commission.
According to the Commission, the country has the legislative competence for such a step. In addition, a socialization would be in accordance with Article 15 of the Basic Law, according to which “land and land” can be transferred to common ownership. According to the plans of the initiators of the referendum, all real estate companies with more than 3,000 apartments should be expropriated. According to the report, that would also be permissible. According to the 13 scientists, the companies must be compensated for this – but there is disagreement about the amount.