Spring 2021 - International Union of Tenants
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Spring 2021
♦♦♦ EP vote on affordable housing wins the day ♦♦♦ EU progressive housing week ♦♦♦ Is
Vancouver a city for renters? ♦♦♦ IUT in podcasts, TV and press ♦♦♦ Lisbon tenants’ union
97th anniversary conference ♦♦♦ International media attention to the Berlin rent cap decision
♦♦♦ EU-Renovation Summit ♦♦♦
EP vote on affordable housing wins
the day – gamechanger in times of
liberalization of national housing
markets
On 21 January, the European Parliament
voted for the Initiative-Report “Access to
decent and affordable housing”. Ms. Kim Whereas national governments still
van Sparrentak, rapporteur of the rapport, believe that the market will solve all
managed to unite a majority of votes (352 housing problems- with devastating results
Yes/179 No/152 Abstentions) in the claims for housing affordability all over Europe
for security of tenure, the fundamental and beyond, the EU Parliament raises the
right to housing and fair access to red card – stop speculation and overcome
affordable housing.1 IUT supported the EP investment barriers for an access to
work actively- and we got the majority! adequate and affordable housing for all!”
This report is a gamechanger and
Read more about the content of the report
milestone in our work and policy towards
and the press statements of the IUT
the European Institutions. Marie Linder,
members here:
President of the International Union of
Tenants and the Swedish union of Tenants, https://www.iut.nu/eu/ep-vote-on-
welcomed the vote: “The European affordable-housing-wins-the-day/
Parliament leads the way how to achieve
the overdue and profound changes.
1
from-the-debate-2001-and-from-the-final-
https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/de vote_I201144-V_v
cent-and-affordable-housing-for-all-extracts-
1
Progressive Housing Week at the participation in renovations, as the already
Committee of the Regions existing European Responsible Housing
Initiative ERHIN.
January 25-27 the PES group of the CoR
organized an entire housing week with Read the press release with statements
several webinars. from the European Commission and IUT
here:
https://www.pescor.eu/housing-week
https://pes.cor.europa.eu/sites/default/fil
Affordable housing initiative es/Press%20release%20Vienna%20Works
On January 27th, the Brussels Liaison hop%20on%20AHI.pdf
Office of the City of Vienna organised a Decent housing for all
webinar on the “Affordable Housing
Initiative” of the EU, announced by the In second workshop hosted by the
European Commission as a cornerstone of Socialists and Democrats group in the
its renovation wave strategy. The European Parliament, the housing
Affordable Housing Initiative aims at dimension of European policy was debated
revitalising 100 neighbourhoods as by several members of the parliament with
lighthouse projects across the EU in the key stakeholders, including IUT’s Barbara
coming years. About 200 participants Steenbergen. The lack of affordable
joined the online event. Barbara housing is affecting more than 80 million
Steenbergen, head of liaison office to the people in Europe. The COVID-19 pandemic
EU of the International Union of Tenants, made the situation even worse, with an
called for a need to combine the funding increasing number of people struggling to
issues with the existing national rent law so pay their rent or energy bill. But what
that it is fair and socially balanced. “A main comes just at the surface has longer
criterion of the initiative should be to apply structural reasons, rooted in more
strict rules to achieve housing cost profound housing inequalities and which
neutrality.” Rent increases by renovation risk jeopardise the very essence of our
must be balanced by energy efficiency to society. Agnes Jongerius MEP: ”housing is
avoid “renovictions” and gentrification”, a human right that must be guaranteed to
said Ms. Steenbergen who also called for a everybody. For a socially just and
“European Code of Conduct for sustainable recovery, we need to make
Renovation” implementing tenant sure that every citizen benefits from
2
decent, affordable and sustainable difficulties in finding housing that is
housing.” adequate, stable and secure, with, in more
recent years, rental affordability becoming
a particularly challenging and detrimental
issue for many households. While some in
the city may strive for home ownership,
data tells us that this possibility has
become increasingly out of reach, even for
those with moderate incomes.
Agnes Jongerius MEP, S&D coordinator of
the EP EMPL committee
Given the reality that a majority of
Read more here: Vancouverites will most likely continue to
live in rental housing, what does this mean
https://twitter.com/hashtag/ProgressiveH
for the next generation, for seniors and
ousingWeek?src=hashtag_click
families, for low-income, racialized and
https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/d marginalized households, and for the many
e/events/decent-housing-all-workshop- others who do not see a secure housing
hosted-sd-group-29-january-2021 future in Vancouver?
How must the City of Vancouver think
differently about housing and the housing
Towards a more equitable housing market to better meet the needs of its
system: Is Vancouver a city for residents, ensuring priority for those with
renters? the greatest need?
January 21, IUT head of EU liaison office What is required of a new city-wide plan to
Barbara Steenbergen was invited to ensure the urgent and transformative
contribute to an open citizens dialogue The change necessary to establish an equitable
Future We Want: The Change We Need, an housing system?
event series hosted by the City of
See the speaker’s list and watch the
Vancouver in partnership with Simon
conference video here:
Fraser University, CA.
https://www.sfu.ca/publicsquare/upcomi
Beginning in the early 1970s the
ng-events/the-future-we-want/towards-a-
percentage of Vancouver households living
more-equitable-housing-system.html
in rental units has been greater than 50%.
Nevertheless, renters consistently face
3
Building Tenant Power: Podcast Radar/episodes/episodes1/ep115-
“Below the Radar”, Simon Fraser barbara-steenbergen.html
University Vancouver with IUT https://soundcloud.com/sfuw-
community-engagement/btr-episode-115-
barbara-steenbergen
Berlin's revolutionary rent cap —
success or flop?
February 9, Barbara Steenbergen from the
International Union of Tenants joined Berlin's controversial five-year rent freeze
moderator Am Johal on this episode — worldwide a unique experimental
of Below the Radar. Together they measure —has it worked?
discussed the role of the tenant unions in
Europe as well as their advances in housing
policies and protecting tenant rights.
Many cities around the world have some
kind of rent control measures in place, but
Berlin's rent cap law, in effect since
February 2020, is unique. It meant that
Barbara talks about the European housing rents for 90% of Berlin's apartments were
context, and how tenant social movements frozen for five years at the level they were
in Europe led to the establishment of at in June 2019. New rental contracts could
tenant unions. She discusses successful not be above that level, and as of
progressive housing policies in Berlin, November 2020, any existing rents that
Vienna, and the Scandinavian model for were still above that level had to be
public housing, as well as some of the reduced. Deutsche Welle International
progress being made in countries that have interviewed IUT’s Barbara Steenbergen on
an extremely high home ownership rate, this occasion of the 1st anniversary of the
like Spain and Portugal. Berlin rent cap.
Read the full interview here:
Listen to the podcast here:
https://www.dw.com/en/berlins-
https://www.sfu.ca/sfuwoodwards/comm revolutionary-rent-cap-success-or-flop/a-
unity-engagement/Below-the- 56664706
4
Affordable housing in German cities look-at-germanys-growing-housing-
is increasingly hard to find. What shortage/
went wrong and can it be fixed?
Germany-between free play of market AIL 97th anniversary conference-
powers and expropriation of Deutsche
with Saskia Sassen (Colombia
Wohnen - tenants mobilize.
University), Kim van Sparrentak,
Radio moderator Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson Leilani Farha and IUT
brings together international guests from
all walks of life in the Common Ground On next March 11, the tenants association
podcast in cooperation with Berliner of Lisbon AIL celebrated their 97the
Zeitung English Edition. anniversary together with national
politicians and international guests,
March 8, Soraya talked with Berlin housing including IUT president Marie Linder and
activist Thomas McGath of Expropriate IUT head of EU office Barbara
Deutsche Wohnen und Co; Barbara Steenbergen. Based on the recent EP
Steenbergen, head of the EU Liaison Office initiative report several guests debated at
of the International Union of Tenants and a round table about the great challenge
Konstantin Kholodilin, senior economist at and opportunities that this report
the German Institute for Economic represents for the Portuguese Presidency
Research. The episode also features of the European Commission and for the
commentary by Berlin MP Iris Spranger future of the right to housing in the various
(SPD). Member States of the European Union.
Watch the video of the lively debate here:
Listen to the podcast here:
https://www.berliner-
zeitung.de/en/common-ground-no-roof-
over-our-heads-a-look-at-germanys-
growing-housing-shortage-li.144587
https://commongroundberlin.com/podcas
t/episode-20-no-roof-over-our-heads-a-
5https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJsa
M3e2QfU
Euronews TV featuring IUT:
Landlords switch to long lets as
COVID hits Europe's short stay
market on Airbnb
Watch the TV report on Euronews here:
https://www.euronews.com/2021/04/02/
landlords-switch-to-long-lets-as-covid-
hits-europe-s-short-stay-market-on-airbnb
Berlin rent cap overturned by
Germany's top court
The debate is now focused on how to co-
exist with Airbnb, whose main intention is April 15th, Germany's constitutional court
to keep growing, and how to palliate its has decided that the Berlin rent cap
detrimental side effects. violates Germany's constitution. The cap
was one of the most-debated laws in the
Seeing that rent prices were becoming country.
prohibitively expensive, local councils in
Lisbon and Barcelona began buying houses The court has ruled that the Berlin state
available on Airbnb and turning them into government had no right to impose a rent
affordable housing. cap in the German capital. Since the
federal government had already made a
"We have now a massive amount of money law regulating rents, a state government
coming to the European states to start up could not impose its own law that infringed
their economies. Many of them believe upon that.
that this is the opportunity to change the
entire housing market and use the EU International campaigners saw the Berlin
recovery fund money to set up a non-profit rent cap as one of the most radical rent
housing sector towards a more affordable control measures worldwide, because
long-term housing," said Barbara though other European countries and
Steenbergen, member of the Executive cities have introduced rent freezes, the
Committee at International Union of Berlin law allowed tenants to actually sue
Tenants. their landlords to reduce their rents.
Barbara Steenbergen, EU liaison head of
the International Union of Tenants (IUT),
6said she was shocked by the German court has been enforced in the German city.
decision, not least because other state-
Barbara Steenbergen, head of the EU
level in Berlin laws did in fact regulate
liaison office with the International Union
private property rights: There is a law that
of Tenants, said other countries should
bans landlords from keeping property
take heed of what's occurred in Berlin and
empty as a speculation, for instance.
avoid similar missteps: “I think other
She also expressed some hope for other countries, other cities, can learn from what
tenants' campaigns in other countries. happened in Berlin and possibly do better.”
"This decision is not about whether the
She hopes that they can put pressure on
rent cap is good or bad, it is purely about
the national government to consider a
jurisdiction," she told Deutsche Welle
nationwide rent cap: Steenbergen
International.
acknowledged that there’s a way to go
When the decision of the court was about bringing some political parties on
publishe, several thousand people quickly board. But she said that the campaign
turned out in Germany's capital to #mietenstopp2 is only getting started: “The
demonstrate against the lifting of the rent story is not yet over. I think the opposite is
cap. The demonstration was organized by true. The story is just beginning.”
Berliner Mieterverein and several tenants’
Listen to the full story on the US-radio “The
initiatives.
World” here:
Read the full interview here:
https://www.pri.org/stories/2021-04-
https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-rent-cap-
20/berlin-tenants-undaunted-recent-
overturned-by-germanys-top-court/a-
court-ruling-undoes-rent-cap
57209268
Berlin tenants undaunted by recent Cities4rent- a comparative study
court ruling that undoes a rent cap: how to achieve affordable housing
US-radio “The World” with IUT in 16 EU capitals and metropolis
A German court has ruled that a rent freeze
introduced by the Berlin state government
in 2019 was unconstitutional. Tenants’
organizations in Berlin say they are taking
their campaign for a rent cap nationwide.
Tenants’ organizations in other parts of
Europe have been watching how the law
2
https://mietenstopp.de/
7The European journalists team Arena centred measures. We also need to
working in 16 countries3 invited IUT’s head promote a low-carbon culture throughout
of EU office Barbara Steenbergen to an the supply chain of renovation. Eventually,
expert team debating 10 crucial housing we need financial resources, from all levels
policy measures to balance rental markets. (in particular the EU) and all kinds of
institutions (in particular public ones) to
Read the full interactive interview here: achieve decarbonisation while preserving
https://interaktiv.tagesspiegel.de/lab/wie social fairness and affordability. Bringing
together relevant stakeholders to discuss
-europaeische-staedte-um-bezahlbare-
and promote this approach was the
mieten-kaempfen/
ultimate objective of the Summit May 1th
and 11th, jointly organized by Housing
Europe and IUT. EU commissioners Elisa
RENOVATION SUMMIT 2021 – BY Ferreira (Cohesion and Reforms) and Kadri
HOUSING EUROPE AND IUT Simson (Energy) joined the debate with
many key stakeholders, including IUT
Most of the policy agenda at EU level is
president Marie Linder and Barbara
now dedicated to reaching the objectives
Steenbergen
of carbon neutrality in the EU by 2050. This
year will see important legislative https://www.ourhomesourdeal.eu/renova
proposals in the field of energy that will tion-summit2021
have a long-lasting impact on the way
homes are built and renovated. It is crucial Watch the video:
to get the policy mix right to support https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-
tenants and social, cooperative and public ZjoQrs4Ng
housing providers in achieving a fair energy
transition and decarbonisation.
@ IUT-liaison office to the EU
Barbara Steenbergen
Head of EU office
To do so, we need to start from what works
on the ground, for example with people- barbara.steenbergen@iut.nu
3
https://cities4rent.journalismarena.media/
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