Berlin Voters Back Wresting Apartments Away From Landlords

  • Referendum seeks to control housing cost in German capital
  • Opponents cite risks to investments in new construction
With Germany in Limbo, Coalition Talks Begin
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Voters in Berlin backed a non-binding referendum to forcibly buy housing owned by large property companies in the German capital amid public anger over rising rents.

The proposal, which got 56% support, could mean transferring about 226,000 apartments into public hands if enacted. That includes those of Deutsche Wohnen SE, which owns more than 100,000 units in the city, and Vonovia SE.