Dear students

Dear students, artists & travelers

Neukölln is one of the poorest working-class districts in Berlin.Cheap rents and ample space make it attractive for local and international artists and students. Through this process, Neukölln is gradually emerging as the trendy new district in Berlin with fancy bars, hip restaurants, and art galleries opening on every corner.

This disturbs the social and economic life of our neighborhood. Some landlords and real state investors are taking advantage of this situation and raising the rental prices as much as they can. As most of the newcomers have no idea of appropriate rents in Neukölln,they pay much higher than current market rates. As these prices are still cheap compared to the rental prices in their hometowns or even in other districts of Berlin, everything seems to be fine, but, not for all. What seems to be cheap for some becomes too expensive for others. Slowly but surely, the poorest and most vulnerable people are forced to leave behind the life that they have built in our district: their friendships, their places, their communities, their memories. They are pushed out and replaced by people who are able and willing to pay higher rents.

At the same time, new mechanisms of control and surveillance like cameras and private security are used to dress up the area by banning marginalized people and behaviors. Politically, terms like integration, creativity, progress etc. do serve as a cover for one goal: to get rich people to move to this district.

This process, called gentrification, is supported by politicians and public institutions! It only serves to benefit already powerful landlords, banks and brokers while taking more of your money.

It should not be this way and it does not have to be this way!

Talk to your neighbors. Inform yourselves and others about your legal rights. Join a tenants association or tenants rights political group.
Whatever you do, don‘t pay too much rent!

further Informations: BerlinerMieterGemeinschaft: http://www.bmgev.de/
Contact: AntiGen Neukölln: anti-gen@gmx.de

aus: RandNotizen 4 März 2011 Seite 25