Cologne's homelessness: stories, fates and the call to action!

Cologne's homelessness: stories, fates and the call to action!

The picture of homelessness in Cologne is not only sad, but also raises many questions. Reader reporter Bettina M. went on a bike tour from Widdersdorf to Zündorf, crossing striking points such as the Domplatte and the Hohenzollern Bridge. On her route she met numerous homeless people, including young and old people, as well as sick people. “It makes me think,” is how she describes her feelings. She often gives a euro or asks for coffee and food, which gives her the opportunity to start a conversation and thus gain a little insight into the fates of these people. Every homelessness comes with a story, she emphasizes. And that should make us all think - because no one is immune from getting into such a situation, as express.de reports.

In Germany the numbers are alarming. In 2022, over 600,000 people were homeless, with around 50,000 living on the streets - a trend that is becoming increasingly worrying. Single men, single parents and families with large children are particularly affected. The reasons for this frightening situation are varied, but a common cause is rising rental prices and the lack of housing availability. BessereWelt.info states that over 550,000 apartments in Germany are empty. These vacancies are often used for speculation while people have to live on the streets.

The hidden poverty

What's amazing is that not every homeless person actually lives on the streets. Many people are in collective accommodation or live temporarily with friends or relatives – a form that is often referred to as “hidden homelessness”. At the beginning of 2024, around 532,000 people in Germany were homeless, including around 47,300 homeless people. The main cause of this situation is often rent arrears, as rents in cities like Cologne continue to rise. Households have to spend a quarter of their disposable income on housing, and for people at risk of poverty even almost half. Statista shows that the number of social housing has drastically reduced in recent years and many people have to live under difficult conditions.

These societal challenges lead to high levels of violence against homeless people. Since 1989, there have been 626 documented deaths and at least 2,300 cases of serious bodily harm. This problem is further exacerbated by prejudice and discrimination against homeless people. In addition, access to social benefits is often associated with bureaucratic hurdles, which further exacerbates the situation for many. The traffic light government has announced that it wants to build 100,000 social housing units every year; but in 2022 only 25,000 were implemented.

A rethink is necessary

As Bettina M. emphatically notes, a rethinking of society as a whole is needed in order to address the causes of homelessness and find solutions. The proposal to convert vacant office space into housing could be a way to ease the housing shortage. At the same time, there must be more outreach support services so that people receive help in good time before they become homeless. We are all asked not only to observe the situation, but also to act actively and help.

In the end, the realization remains: behind every homelessness there is a story. And perhaps through empathy and understanding we can play a small part in eliminating social ills.