Kreuzberg worried: Senate cuts millions for social projects!
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district office criticizes financial cuts for social projects. Important prevention measures at risk.

Kreuzberg worried: Senate cuts millions for social projects!
The Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district office has sharply criticized the Berlin Senate's plans to cut funding for social and preventive measures in the 2024 and 2025 budgets. Instead, the funds will be invested in the future in building a fence around Görlitzer Park and locking it at night, as berlin.de reports. The district mayor Clara Herrmann expressed concerns about the cancellation of 30 million euros that had previously been earmarked for social measures. She emphasized that social problems require social solutions and cited measures such as social work and drug consumption rooms as necessary.
The deputy district mayor Regine Sommer-Wetter warned that the financial thinning of existing projects could jeopardize success and lead to increased problems in the long term. In Kreuzberg, several initiatives have been implemented with money from the steering committee, including mobile toilet care and outreach social work for vulnerable groups.
An uncertain outlook
The draft budget of the Berlin environmental administration stipulates that after the security summit in 2023, no more financial resources will be planned for the social projects that currently receive several million euros. These cuts affect, among other things, the park runners who mediate in conflict situations in green spaces, as well as initiatives to collect syringes for people suffering from addiction. According to Tagesspiegel, the funds are set to zero from the end of 2025, which makes it unclear what will happen next with important programs. A year ago, in September 2023, a security summit took place under Governing Mayor Kai Wegner to discuss measures to improve security in public spaces.
The opposition, especially the Greens, are horrified by the cuts. Vasili Franco, interior expert for the Green Party, described this as a “cut-off of social offerings” and highlighted the potential negative effects in the affected districts. In addition, several Green politicians criticized the Senate for breaking its security promise. District mayor Stefanie Remlinger from Mitte spoke passionately in favor of continuing the social projects and held the CDU responsible for the inadequate guarantee of internal security.
Welfare associations are sounding the alarm
In addition to local concerns, several major charities are warning about the financial consequences of planned social cuts in the federal budget. Organizations such as Arbeiterwohlfahrt (AWO) and Diakonie Deutschland have highlighted the financial challenges resulting from increased costs. According to Tagesschau, many institutions that work in areas such as care, youth welfare and homeless assistance are confronted with increasing operating costs. A survey found that almost one in three of these facilities have already planned to reduce staff or have made layoffs.
The majority of institutions have tried to compensate for the financial bottlenecks through higher fees, fundraising and redeployment. The presidents of Diakonie Deutschland and AWO have criticized the austerity measures as unfair and potentially harmful to society. The president of Diakonie warns of the long-term costs that could arise from the lack of sufficient financial resources in social work.