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Housing poverty in Germany: Millions invisibly below the poverty line!
High rents push over 17.5 million Germans below the poverty line. Study by the Paritätischen: Housing costs are a massive burden.
Housing poverty in Germany: Millions invisibly below the poverty line!
Germany is shaking! A new study reveals: More than 17.5 million people are at risk of poverty after rent is paid. The Joint Association reveals the frightening figures: 5.4 million more Germans live in poverty than previously assumed, the main reasons being high housing costs. Many households pay more than a third, some even more than half, of their income for their home. And this in a country that was once known for its prosperity!
According to this shocking study, the Picture presented, the true extent of the economic burden is often overlooked when only income and not the immense housing costs are taken into account. The poverty line, i.e. less than 60 percent of the median income, is 1,016 euros per month for individuals. The median income is the amount that divides the total population into two halves: one half with more income, the other with less.
Lost in the rental jungle
The statistics are not without faces. Fictional examples illustrate the tragedy behind the numbers: Zoal's wife Schmidt from Berlin, a pensioner who pays 900 euros in rent every month for her apartment in Lichtenberg. Her monthly pension of 1,770 euros may sound good at first, but after deducting the rent she is only left with 870 euros - that's below the poverty line! Even with a housing benefit of 40 euros, she would still suffer below the poverty line.
Another example is the Kranz family from Hamburg. With two children and a combined income of 3,500 euros per month, the family is above the conventional poverty line, but after they had to move into a new apartment with 1,660 euros in rent, they are left with 1,840 euros - still not enough.
The Invisibles: Students and Young Adults
Young adults and students are particularly affected. Many of them choose between a roof over their heads and money for everyday needs. Like the example of Mila Nguyen in Leipzig, whose story highlights the daunting challenges of Generation Z - a monthly income of 1,350 euros sounds acceptable, but after rent payments only 950 euros remain. This puts her below the poverty line.
The number of those suffering from these unfair conditions is highest in Bremen, Saxony-Anhalt and Hamburg, while Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria are comparatively better off. But the question remains: how much longer?
From young people to single retirees, the study results show that as many as 21.2% of the population are struggling with rising housing costs. Also Picture points out: Young adults under 25 and older people over 65 are particularly affected. The Joint Association is therefore urgently calling for action: A housing policy with social housing as well as better wages and social protection is necessary to combat increasing poverty.