Göttingen: Hot water supply in problem property secured for the time being!

Göttingen: Hot water supply in problem property secured for the time being!

The situation surrounding the residential complex on Groner Landstrasse in Göttingen, which has become known as a “problem property,” remains tense. How ndr.de reported, the supply of heating and hot water is secured for the time being next October. The municipal utilities originally planned to switch off the heat supply because there were significant outstanding claims against the property owners' management.

But the city of Göttingen has now decided to defer these claims until November in order to help the property owner management under Coeles GmbH to settle a total of 750,000 euros. However, this deferral does not mean that the debt has been forgiven; a permanent solution must be found by November. The background is dramatic: the largest owner of the block went bankrupt two years ago and sales of the apartments are going slowly. The remaining owners are currently making significant special contributions to maintain supplies for the tenants.

A third of the apartments in this block of flats are empty and the complex is known for numerous problems - from fires to rubbish problems and vermin. Mayor Petra Broistedt (SPD) expressed her relief at the short-term solution, while at the same time calling for legal changes to anchor responsibility more firmly with the owners. So far, the city has reached limits that can only be overcome through changes at the state and federal level.

Demands for a better living environment

At a special meeting of the Social Committee, Mayor Broistedt presented a comprehensive catalog of demands to combat problem properties. These should include a further development of the Lower Saxony Housing Protection Act (NWoSchG) in order to give municipalities an effective means of dealing with precarious housing situations. Regarding the points in hna.de listed include:

• Deckelung der Miethöhen auf angemessene Quadratmeterpreise.
• Durchsetzung von Mietminderungen für Leistungsbezieher durch die Kommunen.
• Ausschluss der Kostenübernahme für Unterkünfte in prekären Wohnimmobilien.
• Klärung der Zuständigkeit und Kostenübernahme für Ersatzwohnraum bei unbewohnbaren Wohnungen.
• Landesförderung für sanierungswillige Eigentümer zur Schaffung von bezahlbarem Wohnraum.
• Erweiterte Auskunftsrechte zu Sozialdaten für Kommunen zur Bekämpfung von Sozialleistungsmissbrauch.

The aim of these measures is to enable faster interventions to protect residents and combat unacceptable living conditions. The Lower Saxony Housing Protection Act also aims to prevent neglect and abuses in rental apartments. It obliges landlords to adequately equip and maintain the apartments - legal principles that urgently need to be modernized.

A guide for the future

In addition to the local measures, a new "Guideline for dealing with problem properties" is dedicated to the challenges that such properties pose for neighborhood development. Loud bbsr.bund.de This guide was published to provide municipalities with tangible tools with which they can better manage the situation in such locations. The guide closes an information gap and promotes the use of legal instruments to eliminate problem properties.

For many cities, including Göttingen, problem real estate is a constant challenge. Structural neglect, vacancies and extreme overcrowding are common features that not only affect the quality of life of residents, but also put a strain on the social fabric of the neighborhoods. It remains to be seen how the city of Göttingen and the relevant authorities will implement the measures decided to provide a better life for the people in these properties.