Rat fishing in the prefabricated building: Göttingen fights against unsustainable conditions!

Rat fishing in the prefabricated building: Göttingen fights against unsustainable conditions!

In Göttingen, Lower Saxony, there are worrying conditions in a residential complex at Groner Landstraße 9. A recent incident shows the precarious living conditions: two men fishing a living rat directly on the kitchen window and kill them. This incident illustrates the poor hygienic conditions that the residents described as unacceptable. The 12-story block, which is bursting from all seams and 759 people from 30 nations, is considered to be greatly falling. The residents of rats in cat size report with garbage mountains, rusted cars and unpleasant smells in the corridors - an alarm sign for health authorities.

The city of Göttingen found the "unsustainable conditions" in this apartment block in an official inspection. Around a third of the apartments are empty, while vermin infestation and large mountains of garbage round off the picture. Four abandoned dog puppies were also found on site. Mayor Petra Broistedt (SPD) declared the apartments uninhabitable and urges the apartment owners to eliminate the grievances as quickly as possible. At the same time, she appeals to the residents to ensure more order. Despite the poor conditions, rents in this block are high, which remains lucrative, especially for the owners, since many tenants rely on social benefits.

Consequences and demands

The main renter of the building is insolvent and craftsmen reject orders to remedy the grievances. The elevator has been out of service for over a year because the property manager indicates that there are no financial resources for repairs. The city and district pay around 1.28 million euros annually in rents and additional costs, mostly to the insolvency administrator. A city spokesman said that the living conditions are unacceptable to such an extent, but a legal declaration of uninhabitability is legally difficult to enforce.

In addition, the property management, Coeles GmbH, expresses that the high costs of garbage, pest control and vandalism would be caused by the tenant itself. In addition, several fires within the apartment block, one of them as an arson, have raised further concerns in the past few days. The city commissioned several hundred police officers to monitor the condition of the apartment block.

The broader context of the housing crisis

The situation in Göttingen is in accordance with the ongoing housing crisis, which affects many parts of the European Union. About 10 % of households in the EU spend more than 40 % of their income for living space, which underlines the need for effective access to adequate living space. The European Pillar of Social Rights from 2017 demands that access to living space are recognized as a fundamental right. In this context, a revision of the guidelines for state aid to support the residential sector is also planned.

The EU strategies against homelessness, together with initiatives to improve energy efficiency in residential buildings, could offer a basis for future solutions. The first European plan for affordable living space in the planning is an answer to these pressing problems. While some measures at the EU level are initiated, responsibility for housing policy remains primarily with the Member States, which increases the challenges in the local context of Göttingen.

Overall, it remains to be seen which measures are taken at both urban and European level in order to counteract the grievances in Göttingen and other cities in the EU. The situation illustrates how urgently solutions in the areas of living space and social justice are urgently needed.

For more information on the oppressive living conditions in Göttingen, visit Exxpress, NDR and European Parlament.