Brockhausen asks for help: Cold relief for those in need in Reinickendorf!

Brockhausen asks for help: Cold relief for those in need in Reinickendorf!

District Councilor for Social Affairs and Health, Uwe Brockhausen (SPD), has asked property owners in the Reinickendorf district for support in finding suitable accommodation for the upcoming 2025/2026 cold relief season. Providing shelter is proving increasingly challenging, particularly given the increasing need for both women and men experiencing hardship during the cold months. Brockhausen emphasized the urgency of offering people in vulnerable situations a safe roof over their heads. Brockhausen's contact details are available for property owners who can offer suitable premises: an email can be sent to uwe.brockhausen@reinickendorf.berlin.de sent or contacted by phone on 030 90294 2260.

Finding suitable accommodation is extremely problematic due to the tense situation on the real estate market. Loud rbb24 There are fewer and fewer suitable areas and properties in Berlin for cold relief, which provides emergency accommodation for homeless people from October to April. Jens Aldag, head of cold relief, expresses pessimism for next winter, as the number of homeless people is increasing and there is a lack of available places. An exemplary property that was examined last year is an empty former youth club at Wustrower Straße 18 in Hohenschönhausen, whose renovation needs amount to one million euros.

Goals and challenges of cold relief

Cold relief, which was launched in 1989 by Berlin parishes, welfare associations and the Senate Department for Social Affairs, aims to save homeless lives by offering unbureaucratic accommodation during the cold season. The offers that can be used anonymously include emergency overnight stays, night cafés, soup kitchens and meeting points, which are implemented by numerous church communities and initiatives. Despite the efforts, the Senate Department for Labor and Social Affairs confirms the difficulties in finding real estate, but is trying to ensure a sufficient number of places, as were made available last winter.

The cold relief is financed through grants from the State of Berlin as well as funds from the League of Welfare Associations and private donations. The Berliner Kühlhilfe coordination office plays a central role by planning locations and coordinating the offers on behalf of the Senate Department for Social Affairs, supported by a cold help telephone that records and controls the occupancy of the available sleeping spaces on a daily basis. More information Information on cold-weather aids is also available online, especially for people in emergency situations.