Because affordable living space has been in short supply in Dachau for years, the city tried for two years to get people looking for a cheap apartment.
A swap forum was intended to bring people together who need a larger or smaller apartment for a new phase of life. It was clear from the start that this theoretically good idea would be difficult to implement in practice. Social Welfare Office Manager Markus Haberl already mentioned various difficulties to the city councils in May 2019: For example, different requirements, rents and framework conditions apply depending on the housing association or cooperative. In addition, older people who want to move in particular need very practical support, which has to be financed and which goes far beyond mere mediation. And finally, it is also a question of housing eligibility: in order to be able to rent a subsidized apartment from Stadtbau GmbH, for example, you need a housing eligibility certificate; who does not have this certificate,so cannot participate in the exchange for urban housing.
At the time, the CSU parliamentary group was against the introduction of the swap exchange due to the complexity of the project - and now saw itself confirmed when Haberl presented the results of the two-year test phase.
“It was foreseeable that it would be difficult.
That's why you can't go on with that, ”summarized spokeswoman Elisabeth Zimmermann.
A couple was found in two years
In fact, according to Head of Department Haberl, exactly one couple had found each other in the past two years who were ready and able to swap their apartment. It is true that the city administration kept lists with "increased expenditure of time and personnel" and addressed the tenants regularly. But the idea mostly failed because the people addressed did not want to move to other parts of the city, the smaller apartments did not meet the usual requirements or many did not have the required housing entitlement certificates.
In addition, so-called false vouchers would harm themselves by swapping their homes. When moving, new rental contracts would have to be signed and the current proof of entitlement to a city building apartment would have to be provided. If, however, a former needy person was “promoted to manager”, as Haberl put it, he would no longer have a right to social housing, so this incorrect occupancy would be noticed in the event of an apartment swap. The result: the incorrectly occupied apartment will never be listed on the exchange market.
Anke Drexler (SPD), who vehemently advertised the swap exchange two years ago, admitted that the idea didn't work - “as much as I regret it”.
Sarah Jacob (Greens) also thought: "We have to end it because not enough people have found each other."
However, office manager Haberl had to disappoint them in this hope.
He would "very, very much like to do that".
Legally, however, the city has "no way" to change this unjust situation.
