Homelessness - Left: More help for the homeless and open subway stations
Berlin's Left Party parliamentary group is calling for more help for the homeless in view of the freezing temperatures. "The persistent cold and the obvious increase in the number of homeless people demands immediate action from the Senate, the districts and the BVG," said the parliamentary group's social policy spokesperson, Katina Schubert, on Monday. "The number of places in the cold aid program must be increased immediately." They were clearly no longer sufficient. "Until then, at least some subway stations must be opened at night to provide support." This is a matter of life and limb, argued Schubert. "The BVG must not look the other way."
On Friday, Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg's social councillor, Oliver Nöll (Linke), had already called on the Berlin transport company (BVG) to keep selected subway stations open for homeless people. In response to an inquiry, the BVG announced that there would be no so-called cold stations. Due to train traffic and heavy current in the track area, the necessary security could not be provided. There are also no sanitary facilities.
There is a lack of space in the emergency shelters for the homeless run by Berlin's Kältehilfe. According to the League of Independent Welfare Associations, the average occupancy rate in the middle of last week was 97 percent.
Press release Oliver Nöll
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Source: www.stern.de
