Homeless people in Berlin: warehouse grow and their number is increasing steadily - reports on increasing impairing in the capital.

Homeless people in Berlin: warehouse grow and their number is increasing steadily - reports on increasing impairing in the capital.

The number of homeless people in Berlin is steadily increasing. If you regularly drive public transport in Berlin or run through parks and underpasses, you will quickly find that the city is overcrowded with homeless people. Especially in summer, they can be found in various parts of the city, such as Friedenau, Mitte or Prenzlauer Berg, residing in boards, tents or mattress camps. Some of them are larger camps with several dozen residents, which are equipped with sofas, carpets and floor lamps. Whole mattress stores were built in some places, such as at the Wannsee and at the ICC exhibition center.

The Berlin Senate already had a count of the homeless in January 2020, in which around 2,000 homeless people were recorded. There are no newer numbers, so estimates must be used by aid organizations. Gangway, the largest carrier of street social work, estimates that up to 7,000 homeless people now live in Berlin. In addition, there are tens of thousands of homeless people who move from friend to friend. A total of around 60,000 people are said to be affected in the city. Experts assume that one to two percent of them will become homeless within a few years.

The social conditions for the homeless in Berlin have deteriorated significantly in recent years. The living conditions are perceived as a struggle for existence and no longer as a normal life. The pressure, violence and psychological stress have increased, especially during corona pandemic. Communication with the homeless has become more difficult because there is a lack of know-how to respond appropriately.

Juri Schaffranek, social worker from Gangway, reports on ever larger groups of homeless people at well -known hotspots in the city such as the Zoo station, the Ostbahnhof or the Frankfurt Tor. At the same time, more and more smaller camps are being built in Berlin. He speaks of a significant increase in mental disorders among the homeless and notes that the impairing in Berlin increases.

The reasons for the increase in the homeless number are diverse. Tanja Schmidt from the Road Feger Association sees economic aspects as one of the main reasons because inflation causes the cost of living. However, the main problem is the tense housing market. Older people in particular are affected if they are displaced from their apartments due to their own use and do not find affordable alternatives.

Jürgen Mark from the emergency overnight stay in Charlottenburg sees in addition to the lack of living space, but also the strong influx from abroad as the reason for the increase in homelessness. In particular, people from Eastern Europe, such as Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and the Baltic States, come to Berlin in the hope of a better life. There they are often stigmatized and physically attacked. Berlin, on the other hand, offers a well -developed help system and is therefore attractive for homeless.

Despite the expansion of the auxiliary structures, the offer of help increasingly reaches its limits. The accommodation of Ukrainian refugees is another challenge. Buildings that were actually intended for homeless people were made available to some Ukrainian refugees.

The increasing number of homelessness in Berlin is an alarming problem. It takes urgent measures to combat homelessness and improve the situation of the people affected. The focus should be on improving access to affordable housing and strengthening social support offers.