Diakonie sounds the alarm: More apartments are urgently needed in Schleswig-Holstein!

Diakonie sounds the alarm: More apartments are urgently needed in Schleswig-Holstein!

More and more people in Schleswig-Holstein are seeking help from diakonia due to homelessness. This development is alarming because the number of those affected is continually increasing. Diakonie Nord-Nord-Ost therefore calls on politicians to come up with realistic plans and concrete action to counteract this situation. Lutz Regenberg, spokesman for Diakonie, emphasizes the urgency of more social housing and criticizes the fact that politicians often make big promises but do not keep them. He calls for “more realism instead of pithy words” in order to address the disparity between expectations and reality.

The emergency shelters, which were previously full seasonally in the winter, are now fully staffed all year round. This speaks for the urgency of the situation in Schleswig-Holstein. Regenberg expresses concerns about the goals of the federal government, which wants to overcome homelessness in Germany by 2030, and considers this to be unrealistic.

Increased investment in social housing

In order to counteract the crisis, the state government of Schleswig-Holstein has increased investments in social housing support. The country plans to provide around 1.2 billion euros for the period from 2023 to 2026. This is an important step in meeting the increased need for social housing.

In addition to providing housing, Diakonie is also actively involved in supporting homeless people. With around 800 offers nationwide, including emergency accommodation, outreach assistance and specialist advice centers, Diakonie tries to help those affected in their emergencies. Offers of help include:

• Notunterkünfte
• Aufsuchende Hilfen (z.B. Straßensozialarbeit)
• Ambulante und stationäre Einrichtungen der Wohnungsnotfallhilfe
• Tagesaufenthalte mit Duschen, Wäschewaschen und günstigen Mahlzeiten
• Fachberatungsstellen für Sozialleistungen und Behördenkontakte

Causes of homelessness

The causes of homelessness are diverse: rent arrears, economic hardship and critical life events such as separation, unemployment or illness play a decisive role. The living conditions of those affected are often characterized by poverty, social isolation, health problems and the risk of addiction. According to Diakonie, homeless people are entitled to various social benefits and municipalities are obliged to accommodate homeless people.

Diakonie not only calls for more affordable housing, but also a stronger social housing policy and the reduction of discrimination against homeless people. The federal government's National Action Plan against Homelessness aims to eliminate homelessness and homelessness by 2030. However, the implementation of these measures requires additional funding and changes to the law to combat homelessness.

The situation is depressing, but with the right support and policy measures, the situation could improve for many of those affected. Both society and politics are asked to actively work on solving the problem. For extensive information and offers of help from Diakonie you can go to: Diaconia Visit website. They report more about the developments in Schleswig-Holstein NDR news.