Neukölln introduces safe lockers for the homeless!

Neukölln introduces safe lockers for the homeless!

A new project is launched in Berlin that aims to improve the situation of homeless people. According to the information from rbb24 , five locations for lockers are set up with individual figures in Neukölln. The lockers should offer a safe way to keep personal items, since many homeless people do not have a protected place for it. The official presentation of the new lockers will take place on the site of the social welfare authority Kubus next Thursday.

The first lockers were already provided in the Märkisches district, Reinickendorf district in early 2024. These lockers, also known as "Safe Places", close an important gap between the accommodation and the voluntary decision to live on the street. The establishment of these lockers is part of a comprehensive plan to support homeless people who often suffer from extreme living conditions.

Advanced offers for homeless people

With the opening of the first Safe Places in Hertzbergstrasse at the beginning of 2024, a valuable offer was created. These are about three square meters in size, lockable and not only offer protection against weather influences, but also a certain privacy. The living boxes are produced by the Union of social institutions (use) gGmbH and also offer space for a mobile toilet and waste disposal facilities.

The regular care is carried out by outskilling social work by My Way Social Services gGmbH, which have set themselves the goal of helping homeless people to help again to a health, psychosocial and emotional stability. My Way uses the Safe Places to achieve in particular those people who cannot be addressed by existing help offers. The project helps to offer those affected a first point of contact, even if the Safe Places does not represent a replacement for permanent living space.

long -term goals to combat homelessness

The city of Berlin pursues the ambitious goal of no longer allowing involuntary homelessness to be allowed by 2030. According to Image lived around 2000 homeless people in the city, while around 50,000 are residents and in Live accommodation. In order to counter this challenge, among other things, forced evacuations are to be prevented and signs of living space loss should be recognized at an early stage. Planned auxiliary measures include the "Housing First" approach that prioritizes immediate access to apartments, followed by the treatment of problems such as addiction or financial difficulties.

The initiatives, especially the Safe Places, are to be regarded as preliminary stages for permanent solutions across parties. Barbara Breuer from the Berlin city mission calls for fast help for homeless people and emphasizes the need to promote social contacts. Kai-Gerrit Venske from Caritas emphasizes that better coordination between the Senate and the districts is necessary to develop long-term concepts against homelessness.

The progress made are an important step on the way to combating homelessness in Berlin. Such offers attempt to sustainably improve the living conditions of those affected and at the same time to strengthen social cohesion.