Born in Cologne (not Berlin), finished School in Frankfurt (not Berlin), studied humanities for nine years (in Hamburg, Barcelona and then Berlin). And before holding political office never once worked in a private sector job where he payed into social security.
Pretty much ironic what goes as anti-gentrificationista these days.
[1] https://www.berlin.de/ba-friedrichshain-kreuzberg/politik-un...
He is portrayed in this documentary for his fight against a major housing property investor and shows the camera team around his Kreuzberg flat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI2QpsWQgEA&t=580s
I really wonder how he can still be living in his old 2-room student Kreuzberg apartment with a full family. It is not true that Berlin has no cheap apartments for families anymore. Outside the hip quarters for sure, but certainly offering better living spaces for 2 little children and a wife than this tiny Kreuzberg flat. He may believe that he is carrying the fight over to his private life but I call this irresponsible.
And this guy was one of the major players chasing Google away.
Let's not loose focus of my main argument here: How are people claiming the moral highground on who should become a new tenant, if they themselves where new tenants very recently?
How can you call yourself an "activist" on the good side of democracy or morale in general, whilst being an office-holding politician, without even being elected into that office?
And regarding your admiration for him for living in a 2-room Kreuzberg apartment
... I grew up the same way, where is my medallion for that ? Do I get extra points for not getting to choose to live that way, like he did?
... as a housing councilor of the city rest assured he's not poor, makes 7.533,07 € a month [1], 2.3 times the median Berliner income
... and wasn't poor before that, indicated by the fact that his family used to travel frequently between homes in Barcelona and Berlin
[1] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/berliner-bezirke-stellen-...
I didn't admire his living conditions, I think you misunderstood me here. He is indeed not exactly poor^1, maybe unable to pay for decent housing for a family in a Kreuzberg with rising rents. But he would certainly be able to pay for a decently sized apartment in a less hip quarter. It looks as if he is not willing to for reasons we can only speculate about.
1: You added the numbers, and this is certainly enough money for much better living conditions even in the hippest quarters of Berlin.
