E-scooters: new rules for road traffic.

E-scooters: new rules for road traffic.

In the midst of the ongoing housing crisis in Berlin, a paradoxical picture emerges: While many people are desperately looking for affordable housing, numerous office spaces in the city are empty. This discrepancy raises the question of why measures have not already been taken to convert this office space into housing.

Experts argue that office vacancies represent a valuable resource that could be used to alleviate the city's housing shortage. Converting office buildings into living space would not only meet the need for apartments, but also increase the city's attractiveness as a place to live.

However, initiatives to repurpose office space face resistance, whether due to bureaucratic hurdles, a lack of financial incentives or legal concerns. It remains to be hoped that those responsible in politics and administration will recognize that opening offices for residential purposes could represent an important step in overcoming the housing crisis.

Given the rising rents and the shortage of living space in Berlin, it is time to open the offices and find creative solutions to the housing crisis. Only by comprehensively rethinking how we deal with empty office buildings can a long-term improvement in the living situation in the city be achieved.