According to RTL news, people in Germany are moving to campsites because they cannot afford their rent. Retired Viola Hesse is one of them.
Wohnung zu teuer: Menschen ziehen dauerhaft auf Campingplatz!
They can no longer afford the expensive rents
Apartment too expensive: People move permanently to campsite!
Exploding prices for oil and gas, rising food costs, high inflation – and even Chancellor Scholz is making it clear – things will continue like this for the time being: Prospects that are making more and more people anxious, for example, about how they will soon be able to pay for their apartments. Quite a few see only one solution: moving to a campsite – permanently. The inquiries are increasing. Sure: The rent here often costs less than 1,000 euros – per year. But permanent camping is rarely permitted. In general, the campsites are intended for “recreational living,” as the authorities call it. Angelique Geray has met people who have exchanged their apartments for caravans.
The campsite at Schachtsee near Magdeburg. With the best weather and swimming lake, however, not everyone takes a vacation here. In a plot a little outside, we meet Viola Hesse – the 60-year-old has been living here permanently for a few months. After the death of her husband a year ago, she got into financial difficulties and could no longer afford the cost of her house.
“With a pension with a little more than 600 euros and from the employment office maybe the 150 euros, you can not keep the house. Here yes,” explains the pensioner.
Campground owner Doreen Hauke senses growing demand for plots. RTL
The plot costs about 1,000 euros at the campsite – but in the year. That makes between 70 and 120 euros a month, including water and waste disposal. Viola lives here on just under 40 square meters. She eats in the wooden porch and spends her nights in the camping trailer.
Campsite operator: Some people scrape together everything to buy a caravan!
About 30 people live here all year round. According to the Building Use Ordinance in Saxony-Anhalt, permanent living is allowed on the campsite. Site operator Doreen Hauke has been getting more inquiries for her permanent campsites since the pandemic – more and more often from people where money is tight:
“I have some who say: I’ll scrape together all my dough and just get myself a caravan or a living module,” explains the site operator. The demand for living space is causing rents to explode. According to the German Real Estate Association, prices in major cities rose by an average of 50 percent between 2010 and 2022. A development that has more and more people looking for alternatives to expensive housing. (lwe)
