Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) - The activists, who have been occupying a house in the Gallus district of Frankfurt since the beginning of December, are allowed to spend the winter there: This is made possible by a so-called permit agreement that the city of Frankfurt signed together with the conversion property development company (KEG) and the management of the FAZ for the squat. The aim was to enable interim use by the "Open spaces instead of glass palaces" collective as long as the demolition work had not yet begun, the city announced on Thursday.
The activists are now allowed to use the house until April 30, 2023, after which it must be vacated. The building is part of an ensemble that has to be demolished as part of the Hellerhöfe construction project, among other things to clean up the contaminated soil on the property.
"Through the talks, we learned that in Frankfurt we will have to be more sensitive about temporary uses in the future and that it is also helpful if we can only make the living space available for a short time," said Frankfurt City Councilor Silvia Weber, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board KEG is.
With the squatting, the collective also wanted to draw attention to the housing shortage in Frankfurt and the problems caused by gentrification. Numerous construction projects are currently underway in the former working-class district of Gallus near the city centre. Numerous new condominiums or high-priced apartments are being built for people who are only staying in the Main metropolis for a few weeks or months.
