In light of falling temperatures, Diakonie Saxony calls for more efforts to prevent homelessness. “If you keep your apartment, you won’t need any cooling assistance,” explains the Protestant welfare association. Although the Diakonie facility provided additional accommodation and accommodation options for the winter, they did not want it Prevention become more focused. Cities, districts and the Free State must be offered long-term support and increase spending on preventive measures.
“Our Diakonie emergency housing assistance advice center is doing everything they can to prevent housing loss,” said Diakonie Saxony emergency housing assistance advisor Rotraud Kießling. Almost half of the people who visited the consultation center last year still had their own apartments. By working with landlords, we can often prevent the loss of an apartment or enable people to move back in.
Hidden homelessness is often invisible
According to Diakonie Saxony, 6,885 homeless people were to be accommodated in the Free State by January 31 this year. In addition, about 15 percent of the population is quietly homeless and lives without stable accommodation, Kießling said. This refers to people who live with friends or acquaintances and are not officially registered. This also brings problems to those who temporarily take the affected people into their homes and thus endanger their own residence.
When standard rates are no longer sufficient
Diakonie describes the housing cost gap as particularly burdensome: the upper limits of rents recognized by job centers are often below actual rents. “Many of those affected have to pay the difference from the standard rate. This results in less money for food, clothing or electricity,” said Kießling. This quickly creates a spiral from payment arrears to homelessness.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:251117-930-303023/1
