The winter emergency program for homeless people ends on April 1 in Hamburg. The Housing Crisis Action Alliance calls for accommodation in single rooms in the future.
No place to relax: Hamburg winter emergency program room in 2020 Photo: dpa | Daniel Bockwoldt
taz: Erik Horn, what does it mean for homeless people when the municipal winter emergency program ends?
Erik Horn: The majority have to go back to sleeping on the street. Of course there are emergency shelters, but many people avoid them.
Because?
They are often overcrowded, hygienic conditions are poor and there are only shared rooms. We often get comments, especially from young people, that there is a lot of stress there. No one can relax there.
How many people are we talking about?
The figures for 2023 show it: Almost 3,000 people used the winter emergency program. Subsequently only two were able to find accommodation and only 67 others moved in. This makes it clear that we have a problem.
He wants to draw attention to this with his campaign.
Exactly, we want to send a message to the public. Last year, for example, we organized a raffle. Passersby were able to raffle tickets for the raffle; The main prize was an appointment to see the apartment with 500 other people. This year we want to set up tents, arrange sleeping bags and show what it means to sleep on the street.
Would it be a solution to have the winter emergency program open all year round?
The emergency program primarily protects people from death by freezing; People have to go out on the streets again during the day. This is not an ideal solution even in summer: when people need to stabilize, they need a reliable place to stay. It would not be enough to leave the emergency program open throughout the year.
What are you demanding?
We would like better accommodation with single rooms for everyone who needs it in Hamburg. There simply aren't enough of them and people often have to wait months for a place. Accommodation in shared rooms generates stress in users and makes many prefer to spend the night outdoors. And we demand much more investment in social housing, even for those who do not yet have a permanent right to stay. Instead, they are increasingly turned away by police and law enforcement in the city center. This is not the right way!
meeting of the Hamburg Action Alliance against the housing shortage, in front of Hamburg central station, exit Wandelhalle/Spitalerstraße, April 2, 11 a.m.
In Niendorf, a neighborhood on the outskirts of the city, many criticize this Homeless people in need of care can now be accommodated there.
I would like people to lose their fear. In all districts there is a need for accommodation for homeless people, especially those that meet care needs. But not only the sickest need accommodation. A homeless person is always especially vulnerable, even if they are actually healthy. If you don't have an apartment or privacy, it is a very vulnerable situation.