Fair rents instead of profiteering
A good life is impossible without affordable housing. Ensuring that young people have a place to live without displacing older generations allows a neighbourhood and community to grow. Housing must serve the common good, not profiteering.
Together with the state-owned housing association WohnRaum Niedersachsen, we are fixing the mistakes of past privatisations. Municipal spaces are not allocated according to the highest bid, but based on the best proposal. We ensure at least 30 percent affordable housing in new neighbourhoods. Our concept prevents speculative vacancies and puts the rent cap into practice. Everybody’s life will be easier if we come together to ensure universal access to secure housing.
Nature needs our protection
And we need it, too! Just imagine: buzzing meadows, clear streams and shady trees right on your doorstep. We are bringing nature back into our neighbourhoods. Our vision is to make this a normal part of life in Lower Saxony. This is why we are preserving our peatlands as natural climate protectors and providing more space for our rivers to retain water in the landscape. We are working with farmers to bring diversity back into the fields, reduce the use of pesticides and keep our water clean. And we are nurturing new habitats where nature had previously been lost. An intact natural environment provides space for recuperation and a safe future for coming generations.
Saving the climate
We are working together to make our towns and villages climate-resilient, so that heavy rain doesn’t become a disaster and summer remains enjoyable rather than making us ill. Placing limits on global warming inevitably involves taking prudent steps to obtain our energy from renewable sources – powered by the sun and the wind. We believe that heating is quite simply a public service. It is our view that district and local heating provided by municipal energy suppliers is the best solution. And it needs to be reliable, affordable and run democratically. This eases the strain on family budgets so that they don’t have to take action and invest on their own. We have a simple principle when it comes to wind energy and solar power: participation, not pressure. Municipalities and citizens should hold shares in the facilities to keep added value in the community. Doing so will transform saving the climate into a genuine opportunity for our Lower Saxony.
Local public transport keeps us moving
Gazing calmly out of the window, listening to a podcast and arriving on time. Smooth mobility translates into freedom. Whether we can meet with friends or go swimming depends on its availability. Evening buses preserve our mobility. The Deutschland Ticket has made local public transport simpler and more affordable. What we need now is to expand local services to meet popular needs. In rural areas, we promote smart shuttles and shared taxis that can be ordered via an app. Bike and car sharing are integrated seamlessly within local public transport. We are calling on the Federal Government to introduce a permanent €9 ticket. We are also engaging in grassroots campaigning to ensure that young people have access to discounted travel options such as a Deutschland Ticket for school pupils. And by expanding the 30 km/h zones and building well-developed cycle paths, we are keeping things safe for people of all ages. As long as mobility remains reliable, we can connect people and keep our communities vibrant.
New energy for the economy
Our businesses are brimming with ingenuity and verve. Now we are kicking into overdrive for their sustainable success and transforming Lower Saxony into a breeding ground for bright ideas! Affordable renewable energies enable us to strengthen our companies and eliminate their dependence on imported fossil fuels. We promote future technologies, create new markets and in doing so guarantee crisis-proof jobs. We accompany our businesses on the road to climate-neutral production, eliminate red tape and pave the way for digital infrastructure. Our outstanding education system and smart immigration attract top talents. Together we ensure sustainable growth that creates good jobs and lays the foundation for the future of our municipalities.
Modern schools for everyone
We are turning our schools into the most exciting places in our communities, where talents are discovered and promoted and where lifelong friendships blossom and grow. We establish creative and inclusive centres of learning with digital equipment and inspirational facilities. Our teams of qualified educators strengthens early childhood learning. We work hand in hand with non-profits to transform our primary schools into institutions of all-day learning. With highly dedicated school social workers and new integrated comprehensive schools, we are promoting longer periods of joint learning that are designed to include everyone. We invest in education and life opportunities for children, pool resources for inclusive learning and, in doing so, strengthen social cohesion.
Placing young people front and centre
The energy and ingenious ideas of our youngsters are contagious. Not only does the future belong to our children and young people, they are also the here and now! We give them the stage and the space that they deserve. We create open spaces where they can meet, chill and have fun the way they prefer. After all, a community also means benches where youngsters can gather in the evenings. They call the shots in youth parliaments and councils and help to decide on how our towns and villages should develop. It’s not enough to learn about democracy. It needs to be brought to life. Our committed youth outreach and street work make sure that everyone receives support and encouragement. By placing a focus on young people and having an open ear for their concerns, we make life pleasant for everyone in the local community – together.