Dispute over housing: Altona wants to convert commercial space!

Dispute over housing: Altona wants to convert commercial space!

in Altona it is currently bubbling the plans for converting commercial space into living space. The district office has developed suggestions that, according to NDR , seven larger properties are mainly used for apartments. These include the site of the Leseberg dealership in Osdorfer Landstrasse, the former Max Bahr building on Rugenbarg and a daycare center in Bahrenfeld. Despite these ambitious plans, however, there is resistance: the economic authority rejects the majority of the proposals and argues that there have been an incredible 40 hectares of commercial and industrial areas in Hamburg for living space since 2011, which is the highest conversion rate in the city.

This measure shows how serious the pressure on the housing market in the Hanseatic city is. The focus is particularly on the SPD Member of the Board Mithat çapar, who expresses concerns that small businesses could be pushed to the outskirts. To prevent this, he suggests mixed areas in which older companies and new apartments can harmoniously coexist. The CDU, on the other hand, wanted to convert office buildings into living space, but this proposal was rejected in the Urban Development Committee - which causes further disputes.

The Situation on the housing market

The housing shortage is not a new topic, and not only in Hamburg. The Hamburg Senate has been active since 2011 to take account of population growth and reduce the pressure on the rental market and tenants. As Hamburg.de , the city has taken various measures to promote housing construction. This includes the establishment of a Senate Commission to accelerate urban planning decisions. In addition, the annual new building volume of the city saga was increased on 1,000 rental apartments.

In addition, close cooperations between the various actors are promoted as part of the "Alliance for Housing in Hamburg". The annual capacity for housing subsidies is at least 3,000 rental apartments in the new building, with the aim of also creating 35 percent subsidized rental apartments. Between 2011 and 2022, around 126,818 apartments were approved and over 85,000 were completed by the end of 2021.

tenant protection as a priority

Another important topic is the right of the tenant. According to the SPD parliamentary group Hamburg , the rental increase in the city was successfully braked through various measures. This is how about 240,000 Hamburgers live: inside in areas with social conservation regulations. The rental price brake was also extended by 2025 to protect tenants from excessive price increases. In order to pursue the same goal, a area of ​​conversion from rental to condominiums will apply from mid-2021.

In addition, misuse of living space, for example through holiday apartments, is strictly regulated. The city advertises more transparency and ensures that landlords comply with the legal requirements. In order to stop the price spiral, the cutting limit for rent increases was reduced to 15 percent within three years, with the aim of further reducing it to eleven percent.

The challenges in Hamburg are therefore numerous and complex, but the city administration and the political actors are working intensively to not only create living space, but also to strengthen tenant protection. In Altona and other districts, the discussion about the best solutions remains exciting for everyone involved.