Erfurt (dpa/th) - According to the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), rents in the largest Thuringian cities have risen by around a fifth in the past six years. The DGB Hessen-Thüringen joined the call for a six-year rent freeze on Friday. It is also to be collected during a nationwide day of action this Saturday. It is also about the social cushioning of the consequences of the energy crisis and inflation.
The DGB district chairman Michael Rudolph explained, "many people have their backs to the wall. They no longer know how to pay their rent and ancillary costs." A six-year rent freeze would have to be used to create more affordable public housing. "Even before the energy crisis, affordable rental apartments were becoming increasingly scarce in Thuringia," said Rudolph.
According to the DGB, rents in Erfurt have risen by 17.6 percent and in Jena by 22.6 percent over the past six years. At the beginning of 2022, the price per square meter for apartments on offer in Erfurt averaged EUR 8.00 and in Jena it averaged EUR 9.99. "Rising rents are not a crisis phenomenon," said the trade unionist.
According to the DGB, there were around 13,500 social housing units in Thuringia in 2021. their number has declined in recent years - by 600 since 2020 alone. The DGB Hessen-Thüringen called on the state government to increase public housing subsidies and improve their conditions.
