This is bad but not the end. We are so many organized house communities that we can defend ourselves against Heimstaden if we stick together: Self-organization and solidarity in one’s own home is the first step towards both effective protection and the ability to act against owner companies.
We want to support you in building up the house communities as well as in the formation of a Berlin-wide network against Heimstaden. There is a good tenancy law in Germany, but especially in Berlin the investors are also particularly aggressive. If we join forces, it will help in any case.
Our proposal is therefore to build a Berlin-wide network of Heimstaden-Hausen under the common label of a tenants’ union (link to the self-image).
The model is exactly such a union in Sweden, which also conducts collective bargaining with Heimstaden. Every year, the organized tenants sit down with Heimstaden at the same table and negotiate a rent that is affordable for them.
The organization is to take place from bottom to top: The individual house communities come together in local group meetings, and collect and discuss the individual situation in the houses. Each house then chooses delegates who come together in local groups and who in turn send delegates to a central network. There, a common Berlin-wide strategy will be developed to stop Heimstaden! The flow of information takes place back to the local groups and house communities, where the decisions are made.