Social association: More daytime accommodation for the homeless
In view of the winter temperatures, the Hamburg Social Association has called for more day shelters for the homeless. "The provision has been poor for a long time. In recent years, 500 day shelters were planned for around 2,000 homeless people - that has never been particularly plentiful," said chairman Klaus Wicher on Tuesday in Hamburg. But now the situation is becoming increasingly volatile: "More and more Hamburg residents are experiencing first-hand that homelessness is on the rise. Not just around the main train station, but all over the city, people with all kinds of needs are camped out on the streets."
Now that temperatures are dropping, they need more opportunities to stay stress-free during the day, to warm up and possibly even receive medical care. "Despite all their misery, these people have the right to a little humanity," demanded Wicher.
Especially around Hamburg's main train station, there should be opportunities for those affected to warm up during the day: "There are a lot of vacancies in Hamburg's city center right now. There would certainly be opportunities there to set up daytime shelters during the winter".
Overall, the city should react more quickly and pragmatically to emerging emergencies: "We need to do more, because there are now more people who need support. It would therefore also be wise to open more places from the winter emergency program during the day." This should be accompanied by more advice and services from social workers.
The lack of sufficient day shelters has been a concern for a long time, with only 500 planned for around 2,000 homeless individuals. With an increase in homelessness being observed across Hamburg, there's a growing need for more daytime accommodation to provide respite, warmth, and potentially medical care for the homeless.
Source: www.dpa.com
