Local and State Politics
The educational opportunities offered by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation’s Kommunalakademie are designed to demonstrate the various left-wing political possibilities for action, with a view to the diversity of issues and actors in municipal politics. Another focus in area is housing: with events and publications, we support critical urban policy initiatives and strengthen networking efforts.
Municipal and local politics are often multifaceted and above all not boring or powerless. That said, they do pose challenges. Many decisions, including those of states or the EU, are implemented here, directly affect people and have a direct local impact. Thus, people active in local politics often find themselves torn between legal limitations and the possibilities of political action.
Housing is a human right. And it does not have to be expensive. In order to realize this human right and make housing affordable again, housing must be organized differently: we need public support for housing, a non-profit and democratically managed non-profit housing sector, effective public rent control and an effective rent brake in the entire housing stock, a regulated land price policy and more protection against dismissal, displacement, and forced evictions.
Rising rents push many out of their homes, especially in the cities. And cities are changing: people on low incomes are being forced out of attractive inner cities, while more of their income goes towards housing. Thus, just as we need a right to housing, there must also be a right to the city: creative, open urban spaces of the urban must be fought for and reclaimed again and again.
