Cologne's homelessness: Voluntary arrests as a desperate solution!

Cologne's homelessness: Voluntary arrests as a desperate solution!

Cologne is currently facing a serious challenge: homelessness in the city has increased dramatically in recent years. A long-term survey by Focus shows that almost 20,000 Cologne residents cast their vote on the situation of the homeless. A shocking 15,000 of them believe that the city is doing far too little for homeless people. Only around 5,000 participants felt the support was sufficient.

The feedback from the community is particularly alarming. Christine E., a former employee of the Cologne prison, reports that some homeless people voluntarily commit crimes and go to prison just to escape the cold of winter and at least get a roof over their heads and food. She emphasizes that the main problem is not the visibility of beggars. Rather, she sees the danger posed by a growing number of mentally disturbed people who often have to live on the streets without appropriate care from the city.

Contact points and offers of help

The city of Cologne has provided an overview of contact points and support options for homeless people on its website. Organizations that look after the needs of homeless people also provide important information. The City of Cologne informs that people who do not have their own home and cannot provide accommodation themselves are entitled to support. This also applies to relatives who live in the same household.

In a broader context, the Diaconia that there are around 800 offers for homeless people across Germany who receive personal care. In addition to emergency accommodation, those affected can also find outreach help and day stays where they can shower, do laundry and receive cheap meals.

• Wohnungslose sind Personen ohne mietvertraglich gesicherte Wohnung und leben gegebenenfalls vorübergehend bei Verwandten oder in Einrichtungen.
• Obdachlose hingegen sind gezwungen, im öffentlichen Raum zu übernachten.

These differences are crucial because the causes of homelessness are diverse and range from rent debt to economic hardship to critical life events such as separation or unemployment. Diakonie emphasizes the need to reduce discrimination in the private sector and to fight for affordable housing in order to reduce the number of homeless people. The goal is ambitious: homelessness and homelessness should be eliminated by 2030, supported by the National Action Plan against Homelessness.

Especially in times when temperatures are falling and winter is just around the corner, it is important that the city and its citizens have a good hand in effectively helping those affected. The situation shows that there is still a lot of work to be done, but also that many people are committed to shedding light on the darkness.