New start of life for Ricky and Ines: Guide apartment opportunities!

New start of life for Ricky and Ines: Guide apartment opportunities!

Niedere Börde, Deutschland - Ricky (34) and Ines (50), known from the documentary soap "Hartz and warm", face enormous difficulties after Ricky was released from prison. The reason for his detention was debt, which he had accumulated by illegal driving. When the couple wanted to start a new life in Lower Börde near Magdeburg, they rented a dilapidated house with the promise to renovate it instead of rent. However, the condition of the house turned out to be catastrophic, with a moral roof beam and a hanging kitchen floor. The landlord claimed during the tour in the dark that only a few roof tiles and some pipes would have to be repaired. But after the renovation work was completed, the building was classified as at risk of collapse and should be demolished.

The renovation costs overwhelm the couple; They faced the challenge of taking off the dilapidated house within just 48 hours. Your belongings remain in the house, and only a box with 30 damp sugar packs can be taken with you. The attempt to start a new life has failed, and Ines also wanted to get her driver's license while Ricky wanted to find a job. Despite a court dispute that led to the cancellation of the rent payments, you now have to repay 1,000 euros for the renovation. So they are back at the beginning without the feeling of making progress.

housing shortage in Germany

The case of Ricky and Ines is not an isolated case in the context of the current housing shortage in Germany. Rental apartments have been scarce for years and prices have increased considerably. Political promises to reform housing construction have largely not been met. The social challenges are becoming increasingly clear, especially for families and people with low incomes. The Haferkorn and Stein family are urgently looking for an affordable four-room apartment in Speyer or the surrounding area, but can apply a maximum of 1,600 euros warm monthly, which is a major hurdle.

Rents rise in all price segments, and even people with safe jobs often experience that their inquiries are rejected. Police officers, nurses, single parents and people with foreign surnames are particularly affected. It was found that the construction of social housing has declined sharply: In the past few decades, the number of 4 million social housing in 1987 has dropped to only 1.1 million in 2024.

The traffic light coalition had originally planned to build 400,000 apartments a year, including 100,000 public funds. But in 2024 only a few over half of this number were realized. The construction industry is in a deep crisis, many specialists have already left the sector, and potential buyers are waiting for interest and construction costs to decrease. Economist Matthias Günther also warns of further tightening the situation for tenants, while the challenges for the next government are clearly visible against the background of the housing shortage.

in Reutlingen is actively fighting against the housing shortage. A new residential complex with 76 apartments is being built, the average rent is 8.88 euros per square meter. Many are calling for a stronger inheritance tax for wealthy and new funding programs to solve the financing problems in social housing. The pressure, addressing these challenges, is growing for the upcoming government to deal with the intensifying housing market situation.

The stories of people like Ricky and Ines illustrate how deeply the effects of housing shortage and financial uncertainty are in Germany. Her fate is just one example among many who impressively illustrate the need for a comprehensive housing policy.