Migration - Social senator wants a turnaround for refugee accommodation
Berlin's Senator for Social Affairs, Cansel Kiziltepe, believes that the new year will bring a turnaround in the accommodation of refugees. However, she believes it is unlikely that there will be enough apartments for everyone. "My hope for 2024 is that we will make faster progress in the decentralized accommodation of refugees and that there will be fewer people who have to live in large accommodation facilities," the SPD politician told the German Press Agency.
Four new modular shelters to be occupied in 2024
"Decentralized means, in the best case, finding suitable areas for the construction of modular accommodation, as well as for tempohomes and lightweight halls." Four modular shelters for refugees (MUF) are set to open in Spandau, Neukölln, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and Pankow in 2024 with a total of around 1,800 places. These are buildings made of prefabricated concrete modules with apartments that are to be used in the long term and later rented out if they are no longer needed for refugees.
"Tempohomes and lightweight halls are of course quicker to erect," said Kiziltepe. If more refugees come to Berlin again, it will be possible to set them up within a few weeks. "We have had good experiences with this - it went quickly in Tegel and Tempelhof," said the Senator for Social Affairs, who is also responsible for integration. "I assume that we will still be accommodating more refugees in tempohomes and lightweight halls than in modular accommodation in 2024."
"In September 2023, the Senate decided that we want to create an additional 8,000 places for refugees," said Kiziltepe. "Since then, the State Office for Refugee Affairs has put more than 6,000 places into operation. That is an enormous achievement." No gymnasium was needed for this. "No one was homeless. There are currently more than 33,000 people living in LAF accommodation, more than ever before," said the SPD politician. LAF stands for State Office for Refugee Affairs.
Hostels and hotels also remain an option
It is difficult to predict how the number of refugees in the large accommodations will develop in 2024. "There should be no more than 7,000 places in Tegel, currently around 5,000 are occupied." According to the Senate, the capacity in Tegel is not to be increased any further.
"We have been accused of lacking around 3,000 places in the rented hotels and hostels from spring next year when the current contracts end," said the senator. It was clear from the outset that these places would only be available for a limited time until the tourist season starts again.
"We will consider soon enough how things will look in the fall and winter of next year," said Kiziltepe. If new pitches are needed quickly, this option will also be used again. "I want to make it clear once again: These are not luxury hotels. The average cost per day is 62 euros."
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- Cansel Kiziltepe, the Social Affairs Senator of Berlin, expressed her hope for a turnaround in refugee accommodation at the turn of the year, particularly for decentralized living options.
- Four modular shelters for refugees, known as MUF, are planned to open in various Berlin districts like Spandau, Neukölln, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, and Pankow in 2024, providing approximately 1,800 apartments.
- The SPD politician believes that these modular shelters built with prefabricated concrete modules will be used for long-term housing and later rented out for regular Berliners if needed.
- Temporary solutions like tempohomes and lightweight halls are quicker to build and can accommodate refugees within weeks if required, as seen in Tegel and Tempelhof.
- Since the Senate decided in September 2023 to create an additional 8,000 places for refugees, more than 6,000 spaces have been made available, as per the State Office for Refugee Affairs (LAF), preventing homelessness.
- Hostels and hotels will continue to serve as accommodation options for refugees, although their capacity is limited and will not be extended further.
- The SPD politician acknowledged that the Senate is expected to lack around 3,000 places in leased hotels and hostels from the following spring when current contracts expire.
- As the demand for additional refugee accommodations arises during the fall and winter of the following year, the option of using hostels and hotels again will be considered.
Source: www.stern.de
