Cologne's mayoral candidate Aymaz calls for a revolution in homeless assistance!

Cologne's mayoral candidate Aymaz calls for a revolution in homeless assistance!

Homelessness in Cologne is an issue that affects many people. As part of a survey EXPRESS.de the Cologne population was asked about their experiences with homelessness and begging. The responses confirm that there is a growing problem that requires urgent attention. Berivan Aymaz, the 52-year-old mayoral candidate of the Greens, is critical of this and emphasizes that housing is a fundamental human right.

“It is bitter to see how many people live on the streets in Cologne,” said Aymaz. At least 300 people are currently affected, many without access to protection, medical care or security. Their demands are clear: the city must urgently work on further developing the aid system. This includes, among other things, the expansion of Housing First programs seen as a promising solution to homelessness.

Housing First and its importance

The “Housing First” concept aims to provide homeless people with permanent housing before addressing other social problems. In Cologne, the homeless assistance providers are showing great interest in implementing this funding program for the social inclusion of homeless people. The aim of creating permanent housing is to reintegrate these people into society, with a stable home serving as the basis for building a social network. This was also reported in a report by Deutschlandfunk culture highlighted.

But the challenges are considerable: the federal government plans to overcome homelessness in Germany by 2030, while the homeless report from January 2022 indicates 263,000 homeless people. The reasons for this are the lack of affordable housing, rising rents and insufficient construction of new apartments. The city of Cologne must address these challenges in order to be able to really help those affected.

Promotion and support

In order to support the providers of homeless assistance, funding is needed, which is made available in the start-up phase of the Housing First approach. It is expected that a stable care system will be created that is able to bill for assistance in accordance with Section 67 SGB XII.

Aymaz also points to the need to provide specific support for women living on the streets. She advocates more street work and flexible, 24-hour accommodation with privacy. “We must not see repressive measures as a solution,” said Aymaz. Instead, a preventative system is needed that supports people before they slip into homelessness.

There is a lot going on in Cologne, and it is clear that in order to combat homelessness, different approaches and strategies must go hand in hand.