Hersfeld-Rotenburg district council decides to invest millions and adjust fees

Hersfeld-Rotenburg district council decides to invest millions and adjust fees

The Hersfeld-Rotenburg district council met on Monday and made several important decisions, particularly regarding the budget situation and the accommodation of refugees. The Kassel regional council had previously rejected the district budget, which led to intensive discussions. There was unanimous approval for the transfer of unused budget funds from 2024 to 2025, totaling 22.3 million euros. This includes the following investments:

• 12 Millionen Euro für Schulen und Gebäude
• 1,8 Millionen Euro für Kreisstraßen
• 8,5 Millionen Euro für sonstige Maßnahmen
• 90.000 Euro für Investitionen im Eigenbetrieb Jugend- und Freizeiteinrichtungen

In addition, 18 million euros will be transferred to the results budget, which is intended to stabilize the district's financial planning. The changes in budgetary resources are accompanied by a review by PRC Treuhand & Revision GmbH and other audits that have been carried out since 2020.

Changes to refugee fees

Another important point on the agenda was changing the fee schedule for accommodating refugees. These fees were increased from 360 euros to 390 euros per month for recognized refugees and asylum seekers with their own income. This new rule applies to 467 people living in shared housing or county-provided housing. Interestingly, scales for multi-person households and regulations for cases of social hardship were also included in the fee regulations in order to better take into account the different life situations of those affected.

In the context of the integration of refugees, the project “WE – East-North Hesse for Sustainable Promotion of Individual Participation (ONnFIT)” was recently launched. This project is aimed at refugees aged 15 and over and aims to support them in the transition from school to work and in their integration into the labor market. The goals include providing information about suitable measures for work integration and holding information events to promote social exchange.

Support projects for migrant women

Another project in this context is “LIMEA – Long-term integration of migrant women through empowerment and activation”. It is aimed specifically at women with migration experience and increased need for support. The aim is to offer these women a prospect of employment subject to social insurance contributions or self-employment. This offer includes a women-specific and situation-oriented contact point as well as ongoing advice and support.

Both projects are funded by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the European Union through the European Social Fund Plus and aim to increase participation and integration opportunities for refugees and migrants in the district.

These decisions by the district council demonstrate the commitment to coordinated and responsible financial management as well as to the sustainable integration of refugees in the region.