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From the Streets to Hope: Christian's Fight Against Homelessness
Report about Christian, once homeless in Cologne, and initiatives to support those in need in the city.
From the Streets to Hope: Christian's Fight Against Homelessness
The situation of people who have to live on the streets in Cologne is an issue that affects us all. The Express reports on Christian Jähnke, a 42-year-old man who was homeless for a decade and not only had to live on the streets, but also had to endure violent struggles. After his childhood in a home, he fled to the unfamiliar life in Cologne, where he quickly found himself in a hopeless situation. When he was approached by a man from Deutz, a dark chapter seemed to begin. Christian was (presumably) raped and then looked for a way out, which led him into prostitution to make quick money.
With an impressive height of 1.98 meters, he was able to work more in Cologne's gay bars and had up to 11 customers per day. This earned him up to 500 German marks, which he often spent on drugs. What is striking is that Christian says in his report that there are rules and hierarchies on the street that have a strong influence on the everyday life of the homeless. His period of homelessness ultimately led him to an underpass behind a homeless survival center, where he had to redefine not only survival, but daily life.
The pitfalls of homelessness
Christian didn't always live in Cologne. At the age of 15 he moved to Berlin, but returning at 16 brought him back to the Domplatte, where he had to spend the cold night on the street again. He sees the treatment of homeless people today as worse than before, which could be a clear sign of the social coldness that many in our society encounter. Data from Statista also shows that homelessness is a serious problem not only in Cologne, but throughout Germany. More than 532,000 people were homeless at the beginning of 2024, including more than 47,300 without a permanent place to sleep.
The main reason for the loss of an apartment is rent debt. Combined with the constantly rising rents, which now cost over a quarter of the disposable income of many households, this becomes a dramatic challenge. This problem affects almost half of households at risk of poverty, and the number of social housing units has almost halved since 2006.
Help and support for the homeless
The opening times of the MülHEIMer Arche are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Wednesday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. An important aspect of support is also basic medical care, which is offered by CAYA e.V. doctors from Monday to Friday, even without health insurance.
Christian's story and the developments surrounding the Arche association show that there is still hope and many people want to help. But the challenges remain great, and further efforts and initiatives are urgently needed to support the growing number of homeless people.