Lörrach: Do apartments really have to be cleared for refugees?

In the last few days we have received a lot of inquiries about a letter that is currently being shared via WhatsApp and various social media channels. A letter informs tenants of a row of residential buildings in Lörrach, a district town in the southwestern corner of Baden-Württemberg, that a tenants' meeting is being announced. The reason for this meeting: The rental agreement is to be terminated shortly so that the residential complex can be used as a refugee home in the future.

Many right-wing channels are now using the letter to stir up sentiment against refugees from Ukraine and refugee-friendly policies in Germany.

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The letter is real

We Wohnbau Lörrach , which describes itself as the largest real estate and service company in the region:

The information spread on social networks that we would offer the residents of an apartment building alternative apartments in order to enable the city of Lörrach to gradually accommodate refugees is correct. […] Please understand that we do not communicate any further details this way due to the large number of inquiries.

Housing Lörrach by email

A similarly brief text can also be found on the website under News . The short answer is not surprising, because the regional company is currently being hit with a “shitstorm from the right-wing spectrum,” as the Badische Zeitung writes. tabloids today , which is diligently contributing to the mood:

40 tenants out – refugees in: “I’m shocked. I have lived here for 30 years”

A letter to the tenants said: “As you know, Germany has seen a significant influx of refugees from Ukraine and other regions of the world.” Tenants out, refugees in! Read with BILDplus what the tenants say about it and what happens next for them.

The background to the termination

The city notice from February 20th explains the reasons for this step: Because of the “strong increase in refugees in Germany, including in the city of Lörrach,” the city must resort to “living space available at short notice.” That is why she is working with the municipal subsidiary Wohnbau Lörrach on this issue. The Environment and Technology Committee and the Main Committee agreed to rent the residential complex on Wöblinstrasse and use it as refugee accommodation.

In 2022, a total of 638 people with a refugee background were admitted to Lörrach for follow-up accommodation, most of them from Ukraine. The allocation key for 2023 for the city of Lörrach is 356 people.

The buildings on Wölblinstrasse can accommodate around 100 people. The tenants currently living there, around 40 people, were informed in advance by Wohnbau Lörrach in the past few days. The property consists of apartments from the 1950s that are at the end of their life cycle and were scheduled to be demolished and replaced in the next few years. Tenants will soon be offered more modern and affordable housing options based on their personal situation.

Excerpt from the city news

Thomas Nostadt, the managing director of Städtische Wohnbaugesellschaft Lörrach mbH, emphasizes that his company is aware of its responsibility towards its customers: They want to “find an individual and good solution for each individual. The move is also being supported logistically and financially by Wohnbau Lörrach.” Wohnbau Lörrach has many years of experience in relocating tenants of entire residential complexes, as has already been implemented in the past during major renovation and modernization projects.

Conclusion: The letter from Wohnbau Lörrach is genuine. A residential complex in Lörrach, Baden-Württemberg is to be used as refugee accommodation before it is demolished. The tenants should now be given notice of termination, but they should be supported in moving.

Sources: Wohnbau Lörrach , City of Lörrach , Badische Zeitung

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