Tourism – Union concerned about tense housing market

Affordable housing for workers is becoming an increasing problem in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern tourist regions, Jörg Dahms, the regional manager of the Nahrung-Genuss-Gaststätten (NGG) food and hospitality union, told the German Press Agency. “It is almost impossible to pay the rent in many places,” Dahms said. The situation has particularly worsened in areas such as Usedom and the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula.

Some jobs in Tourism are paid only the minimum wage, making the search for housing more difficult. “As a minimum wage earner, you can’t afford it,” he demands higher wages to better compensate for the high rents. About 56,000 people are employed in the tourism sector in the northeast.

Inflation has exacerbated the problem for the union:

When planning construction projects, not only hotels or holiday homes must be taken into account, but also the people who live there. “The islands are dependent on the workers,” says Dahms. He is concerned about the development of the past few years, because high inflation has significantly exacerbated the problem.

Tobias Woitendorf of the regional tourism association says that the situation regarding affordable housing has not improved. Housing shortage is a disadvantage in the competition. He emphasized, for example, that municipalities should be asked to ensure sufficient affordable housing in construction projects. “There is no need for capacity expansion in holiday homes.”

A survey among residents in MV last year showed that the housing situation is perceived as a problem in some places – UsedRügen, the peninsula Fischland-Darß-Zingst and in Rostock. It comes down to three affordable, available and attractive homes, demands the association head.

More money for social housing in MV

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Construction in Schwerin referred to various state programs to ensure affordable housing. For example, federal and state funds for social housing have increased, with a total of 114 million euros available this year, compared to 78 million euros the year before.

In addition, in 2020 the state government adopted a directive with a total financing volume of five million euros for the creation of employee housing in tourism focus communities. A significant part of this financing should be allocated by the end of 2023.

1. Jörg Dahms, regional manager of the hospitality and catering trade union Nahrung-Genuss-Gaststätten (NGG), highlighted the problem of rent payments for employees on the housing market in the tourist regions of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
2. Dahms pointed out that many jobs in the tourism industry pay only minimum wage, making it even harder for workers to find affordable housing.
3. Dahms was concerned about the situation in areas such as Usedom and the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula, as inflation has significantly exacerbated the problem of affordable housing for workers.
4. Tobias Woitendorf of the regional tourist association agreed that the situation regarding affordable housing has not improved. According to him, the housing shortage is a disadvantage in the competitive battle.
5. Woitendorf proposed that municipalities should ensure sufficient affordable housing in construction projects. He stressed the need for a triangular relationship of affordable, available and attractive housing.
6. In response to the housing problem in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the Ministry of Construction in Schwerin has announced several programs to ensure affordable housing. These include an increase in federal and state subsidies for social housing and a guideline for the creation of employee housing in tourist communities.

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