GENDER-BASED HOUSING the Berlin Housing Crisis for Women Fem
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fem*MAP BERLIN. FEMINIST SPATIAL SYSTEMS FOR A NON-SEXIST CITY. GENDER-BASED HOUSING The Berlin housing DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-11708 crisis for women Ekaterina Kropacheva Feyza Sayman Nikita Schweizer CUD Work Reports No.1: fem*MAP BERLIN. Feminist Spatial Systems for a non-sexist City. City. a non-sexist for Spatial Systems BERLIN. Feminist Reports No.1: fem*MAP CUD Work Gender-based violence is a global pandemic. It has protection for those needing it. In 2019 a total of 729 (GBH) infiltrated every possible place; in every possible form. places were available in six women’s refuges, as well It exists in both the public and the private realms. It as refuge apartments and second-level apartments. Hypo- cat-calls women as they walk in the street, it gropes They are now working intensively on “emergency and grabs where it shouldn’t, and it makes the home accommodation for women* affected by violence in the a dangerous place. There is a spectrum of violence event that the needs cannot be met by the women’s thesis, against women, and it spans different degrees of shelters,” writes press spokesman Moritz Quiske. But severity, locations, and people. Though every situation these cannot meet the demand. There seem to be an Statement is different, all incidents are harmful. Gender-based increasing number of self-made all-female* WGs. violence is most visible in the public realm, but this investigation seeks to uncover the affects of violence against women in the home: domestic violence. In Germany, more than 80% of victims of domestic violence are women*.¹ A woman* could be assaulted in her home by a partner, roommate, or even a visitor. The incidents include assaults, harassment, intimidation, and many other forms of physical and emotional violence. Meanwhile, Berlin is currently in a housing crisis. In the past ten years, rents have more than doubled.² The population is growing exponentially, estimated to pass the 4-million-mark by 2025.³ The local government has taken steps to counter the skyrocketing rental prices, including banning mega-landlords and the recently introduced 5-year rental freeze. However, finding a home in Berlin is still extremely difficult. And it seems to be even harder for women*. In renting, one should consider the price, location, size, etc. As a woman* an added factor to consider is that of safety. The majority 1. Yan, 2018. Women Disproportionately Affected By Domestic Violence In Reference Germany: Official Figures [online] Xinhuanet. Available at: <http://www. of ‘short-term’ rentals in Berlin consist of flat-shares of xinhuanet.com/english/2018-11/21/c_137620352.htm> [Accessed 11 July 2020]. Gender-Based Housing takes ‘WGs’. These are apartments that are usually let by one women* (people who identfy 2. Ratgeber.immowelt.de. 2020. Immobilien-Ratgeber - Nützliche Infos & Tipps themselves as woman) to the main tenant, who then rents out the various bedrooms Zu Immobilien. [online] Available at: <https://ratgeber.immowelt.de/> [Accessed centre of research, interviews and to other sub-tenants. Financially, women* are still 11 July 2020]. analysis. Te reason is to keep the earning much less than men, meaning that they may 3. DW. 2017. Berlin 24/7: Germany’s Capital Is Growing At An Alarming Speed sample space of research compact have to compromise on aspects of the apartment when | DW | 15.01.2017. [online] Available at: <https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-24-7- and comparable. A similar method germanys-capital-is-growing-at-an-alarming-speed/a-37105320> [Accessed 11 can as well be applied in a research renting. The gender pay gap in Germany currently sits at July 2020]. to understand and analyse the a difference of 21%. The rental crisis is pushing women 4. The Economist. 2020. Why The Pay Gap In Germany Is So Large. [online] effects of housing crisis in Berlin for to live in places that they feel unsafe, too worried to Available at: <https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/03/14/why-the-pay-gap- LGBTQIA+ community. leave because of how hard it is to find accommodation in in-germany-is-so-large> [Accessed 11 July 2020]. the first place. 5. Langowski, J. and Piontek, H., 2020. Wenn Die Kontaktsperre Lebensgefährlich Wird. [online] Tagesspiegel.de. Available at: <https://www. tagesspiegel.de/berlin/haeusliche-gewalt-in-der-coronakrise-wenn-die- What are the housing options for women* in Berlin? And kontaktsperre-lebensgefaehrlich-wird/25696336.html> [Accessed 11 July 2020]. if you are unsafe at home, what can you do? Frauenhäuser are women’s* shelters that offer 194 195 (GBH) Hypo- thesis, Diagrams Safe Safe Unsafe Unsafe Safety for Women, Berlin Commercial & Mixed Zones, Berlin Safe Safe Unsafe Unsafe Main Streets and Public Transport Lines, Berlin Educational Environments, Berlin Safe Safe Unsafe Unsafe Green Zones, Berlin Housing, Berlin 196 197 (GBH) Research Questions Do women* feel safe at Why can‘t they move when home? they feel uncomfortable? How safe and affordable What are the spatial is renting in Berlin as a aspects that make the single woman*? house safe/unsafe? What factors make the What are the social, current housing crisis psychological and spatial more challenging for experiences of women* women*? related to their home? What are the housing What can be done? options in the city? 198 199 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IF YOU ARE NOT SAFE AT HOME (GBH) HOUSING CHOICES IN BERLIN (FOR WHATEVER REASON) (FEM*HOUSES) WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS? Info- STATS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PARTNER AGAINST SHORT TERM LONG TERM WOMEN IN BERLIN FURNISHED FLATS AIRBNB WG (SHARED FLATS)? FLAT FOR ONE PERSON STUDIO FLATS HOTELS, HOSTELS STUDIO FLATS Graphics Threat MICRO HOUSES 12% Severe MICRO HOUSES personal injury 11% FLATS WITH 2+ROOMS WG (SHARED FLATS) EMERGENCY HOUSING 7% Stalking SOCIAL HOUSING ? 5% CO-HOUSING Other Coercion WOMEN ONLY WG FRAUENHÄUSER 60% Offence against LGBTQIA+ FRIENDLY WG ? (WOMEN SHELTERS) SELF-INITIATIVES |COMMUNITY CREATION| the sexual Body injury Other self-determination 3% >15.600 people STUDENT HOUSING 2% 70% women VIOLENCE IN THE FAMILY WHAT FACTORS MAKE THIS STUDENTWERK RESIDENCES CO-OP AFFORDABLE Percentage of crimes of reported cases REPORTED VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC pattnership violence, 2017 PRIVATE STUDENT RESIDENCES ? VIOLENCE IN 2019 SITUATION MORE DIFFICULT SAFE AMONG THEM: WG (SHARED FLATS) ? 14526 RENTAL 79,9% FOR WOMEN? women OWNERSHIP 474 988 98,4% 79,9% procedure Investigative Accuse Penalty women women EMERGENCY HOUSING VICTIMS OF SEXUAL VICTIMS OF ABUSE INTENTIONAL BODY HOW MANY CASES END UP THE OFFICE INJURY OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL Berlin, 2017 1096 77% 88,5% SOME WOMEN STAY HERE women women 100% 100% UNTIL 18 MONTHS 181 WERE KILLED VICTIMS OF THREATS, LOW INCOME HIGH STALKING OR WORKLOAD criminal orders or Charges procedure Investigative COERCION IN THE OF SHELTERS [ 729 PLACES PARTNERSHIP IN TOTAL ] 23,6% LIVE HERE FOR DIFFICULTIES COMPLETELY FILLED EMPLOYED PERSONS MONTHLY NET INCOME INCREASE IN > 3 MONTHS 26.000 men (2017) IN THE HOW MANY CASES END UP TIME SPENT PROSECUTOR HOUSING IN SHELTERS LACK OF [ 301 ] [ 298 ] [ 130 ] Berlin, 2017 WERE COERCED, SPACE FOR THREATENED OR ATTACKED BY THEIR UNDER 300 OTHERS PARTNERS OR FORMER PARTNERS 300 TO 499 6 SECOND-LEVEL 835 WOMEN+857 CHILDREN FRAUENHÄUSER APARTMENTS +10% 300 TO 699 692.500 (=19.45%) LIVED IN THE WOMEN'S SHELTERS IN 2017 EMPLOYED PEOPLE REFUGE APARTMENTS 700 TO 899 RECEIVED THE 94,3% = 3.177 MINIMUM SALARY OR THE INCREASE IN 900 TO 1,099 men LESS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 1100 TO 1,299 IN TOTAL DURING 3,368 PEOPLE IN CORONAVIRUS 1300 TO 1,499 MORE OFTEN THAN EVERY PRISON IN 2018* GENDER PAY GAP LIVING ON YOUR OWN THIRD DAY IN GERMANY, ONE * for different crime 1500 TO 1,999 WOMAN IS KILLED BY HER PARTNER 2000 TO 2,599 21% 2600 AND OVER KEEPING IN MIND MIN WAGE 1,584 € PER MONTH (2020) AND 30% AS A 0 THOUSAND 50 THRESHOLD OF AFFORDABILITY FOR RENT VALUE, WE WERE 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 PEOPLE (2019) SEARCHING "THE AFFORDABLE" ACCOMODATION IN BERLIN WITH COST 1498€ IS A MINIMUM SALARY(2017) 475.2 EURO PER MONTH FLATMATE OR STRANGER? 61% OF ALL EMPLOYEES AT THE MINIMUM WAGE WE FOUND AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS IN ONLY ONE PLACE IN BERLIN ARE WOMEN 12689 AHRENSFELDE 73.665 MARZAHN-HELLERSDORF WHAT ARE THE STATISTICS OF 330 EURO RENT FOR 40 M2 UNEMPLOYED WOMEN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FROM (2017) UNEMPLOYMENT ALLOWANCE FOR SINGLE 432 FOR A CHILD UNDER 5 YEARS +250 FLATMATE OR STRANGER? 6 - 13 YEARS +308 LACK OF AFFORDABILITY POPULATION STATS WG* NUMBER OF ADS 4731 *WG-GESUCHT.DE BERLIN [15.06.2020] SHORT TERM 11% HOUSEHOLDS (2017) POPULATION DEVELOPMENT TOTAL - 2,002,900 ALL-FEMALE WGS LONG TERM 166 89% THE EXPECTED INCREASE IN THE WG-GESUCHT BERLIN ADS POPULATION OF BERLINERS FROM afforda- 3,769,000 IN 2019 TO 4,437,187 IN 2030 12% 1 BEDROOM 3,500,000 THRESHOLD OF AFFORDABILITY APARTMENT 578,700 = 28,9% INCOME Tis information graphic shows the RENT VALUE 19% 44 bility? NO > 30% FLAT 3,400,000 14 2 1 process of the research as overall 250€ 350€ 450€ 550€ 650€ 750€ 850€ 950€ 69% WG 1,049,100 = 52,4% FOUR OUT OF FIVE GERMANS SAID THEY BELIEVE 193,700 = 9,7% HIGH LIVING COSTS CREATE A CONSIDERABLE 126,700 = 6,3% 3,300,000 narrative. Taking domestic violence as POVERTY RISK. WG-GESUCHT RENTAL TYPE WG-GESUCHT RENTAL 54,700 = 2,7% WOMEN a starting point, statistics of domestic 44% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 violence are presented. Rather than MEN ANY APARTMENT THE BIGGEST SHORTAGE IS TO BE FOUND AMONG SINGLES LIVING UNDER THE 48% concentrating on the reasons and POVERTY LINE WHO HAVE INCOMES OF 8% LESS THAN 60 PERCENT OF THE MEAN.