Living space instead of vacant space! Change the law for property owners in Braunschweig

The Lower Saxony law on the prohibition of the misappropriation of living space (NZwEWG) was passed in March 2019. The aim of this law is to preserve living space in areas with a lack of living space and to protect it from misuse by the municipality or city council. The living space is misappropriated if the living space:

• is predominantly used for commercial or professional purposes.
• is structurally changed or used in such a way that it can no longer be used as living space.
• is mainly rented as a holiday or model apartment.
• has been empty for more than six months.
• is demolished.

Any misappropriation of this type must be approved by the city administration in Braunschweig after the law has come into force. In the event of a violation of the law, owners can be punished with fines of up to 100,000 euros. In addition, if the living space is misappropriated, the municipality can order that it be terminated and that the living space should be used as apartments again.

The former senior citizens' residence at Korfesstrasse 35 a-b has been vacant for 10 years. At that time the residents had to move out because the building was to be renovated. But these so-called construction measures have not been completed for 5 years and the building is empty. If the misappropriation statute were to apply in Braunschweig, owners would have to ensure that living space is restored promptly. In the eastern ring area, the building next to IGS Franzsches Felde in Grünewaldstraße 12E is another large vacancy, as is the residential building in Sonnenstraße / corner of Echternstraße in the western ring area.

The building on Korfesstraße in the eastern ring area is not an individual case in Braunschweig. In the eastern ring area, the building next to the IGS Franzsches Felde in Grünewaldstrasse 12E has also been empty for many years. In the western ring area in the large residential building on Sonnenstrasse / corner of Echternstrasse, an estimated 50 residential units are uninhabited. Many apartments along the Cyriaksring have also been vacant for years.

We no longer want to accept this speculative vacancy rate in Braunschweig! In Braunschweig over 250 residential units have been vacant, some of them for 10 years, even though the living space requirement is only 35 percent covered. We call on the city to apply the misappropriation law in Braunschweig and to make real estate available to the residents of the city again. This significant lack of affordable housing cannot be compensated for with new construction alone!

Sign our petition to enforce the law on misappropriation in Braunschweig. We want to achieve at least 2100 votes by April 12th, 2021 so that our motion can be heard in the city council. Help us support this petition!