German court upholds Salzgitter’s housing cost rules for single mothers
A woman living in a 72 m2 apartment in Salzgitter with her nine-year-old daughter has been involved in a housing cost dispute. The Regional Social Court (LSA) Lower Saxony-Bremen recently ruled on the case, which centered around the city's concept for determining reasonable housing costs for women. The woman, a long-term recipient of basic security, initially requested a reduction in her housing costs. Her gross cold rent was 586 €. The court reviewed the case, focusing on the procedural aspects rather than disputing the concept of housing costs generally. The court found no issues with the job center's area, which is well-connected by 25 bus lines and several train lines. More than half of the residents own cars. Moving would not be unreasonable for the woman, as care services are not limited to her immediate neighborhood. The woman's request for a cost reduction was initially granted, with the reasonable gross cold rent deemed to be 442 €. However, she later only received reduced benefits. The LSA predominantly confirmed the job center's stance, finding no fundamental flaws in the city's concept for needs assessment. The LSA ruled that the city of Salzgitter's concept for determining reasonable housing costs for women is not fundamentally flawed. The woman's argument that Salzgitter lacks a consistent concept due to varying transportation connections and her inability to move due to nearby care-dependent family members was not upheld. The court's review was procedural, and a detailed review of specific details was not required.
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