May 31 a huge majority of delegates at the biannual federal assembly („Mietertag“) of the German tenant union “Deutscher Mieterbund” (DMB) voted for two motions expressing a political rejection of the planned free trade agreements TTIP and CETA. The delegates, who represent regional and local associations with a membership basis of 1.27 million households, were especially concerned about possible consequences of the  planned investor protection through state independent arbitral tribunals (“investor-state dispute settlement“) on rental laws.

For the development of an Anti-TTIP front in the housing field this clear standpoint of the big German tenant union is a big success.  Just in April some groups started to raise the international housing questions as part of the TTIP. See the statement here:

TTIP: a threat to social housing, land rights and democratic cities

German: TTIP: eine Bedrohung für soziales Wohnen, Landrechte und demokratische Städte