Elif Eralp is the Left Party's candidate of Turkish origin for mayor in the state elections to be held on September 20 in Berlin, the capital of Germany. Eralp announced her five-point plan, which she promises to implement if elected. The plan's priorities include limiting rent increases, intervening in the housing crisis, cleaning up the city, and providing free bulky waste collection services.

Elif Eralp places social justice and affordable housing at the center of her election campaign. The program is reminiscent of the social policies of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The first point of Eralp's plan addresses the rapidly rising rents in Berlin. The Left Party aims to limit rent increases in publicly owned housing and implement a "rent cap." A slowdown in rents for approximately 400,000 public housing units could also curb increases in the private housing market.

The Left Party had previously attempted to implement a city-wide rent cap in Berlin. However, this initiative was overturned by the Federal Constitutional Court in 2021. The court stated that the federal government is responsible for rent regulations covering the entire housing market.

The Left Party had also brought up the nationalization of private housing companies. Transferring the housing units of large companies like Vonovia and Deutsche Wohnen to public ownership is among the party's long-term goals. Eralp stated that comprehensive implementation would not be possible in the short term, adding, "None of this will happen tomorrow, and changes will take time."

The Left Party's five-point program aims to make Berlin a more affordable, cleaner, and more social city. The plan envisages the establishment of a "Rent Profiteering Task Force" against rent gouging. Additionally, citizens will be offered a free bulky waste collection day.

Baba Agency/Berlin