Meireis, TorstenJohrendt, Lukas2025-09-052025-09-052024-11-20Meireis, T. & Johrendt, L., 2024, ‘The garden city as a commons: Social-ethical perspectives on the new housing question’, Verbum et Ecclesia 45(2), a3191. https://doi.org/10.4102/ve.v45i2.3191.1609-9982 (print)2074-7705 (online)10.4102/ve.v45i2.3191http://hdl.handle.net/2263/104239DATA AVAILABILITY : Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analysed in this study.Special Collection: Just housing. The manuscript is a contribution to the themed collection titled ‘Just housing: Transdisciplinary perspectives from theology and the built environment,’ under the expert guidance of guest editors Stephan F. de Beer & Thomas Wabel.Europe faces a severe shortage in affordable housing. Even though the situation is less dire than in many cities of the Global South, rising rents and real estate prices affect the poorest hardest. Faith-based organisations, especially Christian churches, have monitored and tackled this problem for more than six decades. INTRADISCIPLINARY AND/OR INTERDISCIPLINARY IMPLICATIONS : The paper discusses this issue from a social-ethical perspective featuring the example of Germany. It depicts the role of the churches, scrutinises the causes of the shortage, explains the situation as a problem of justice and presents an urban vision inspired by Christian tradition, namely the garden city as a commons. In a mixed motives approach, it presents concrete policy suggestions to improve the situation.en© 2024. The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.HousingPovertyWelfareChurchTraditionArticle