Homelessness in Berlin and how you can take action

Homelessness in Berlin – The number of people sleeping outside on cold winter days is alarming. Either you are new in Berlin or have been around for quite some time, this reality must have struck your attention.

1. Homelessness in Berlin
2. What you can do 
3. Further information

On 14 Nov. 2017, BAG Wohnungslosenhilfe (Federal Association for Homelessness Support) presented its current estimate of the number of homeless people in Germany. In 2016, around 860,000 people in Germany didn´t have a place to live in, more than half of whom are refugees. Minors and children constitute 8% of people living on the street. From 2017 to 2018, BAG W predicted a further increase in number from 350,000 to around 1.2 million homeless people.

Figures about Homelessness in Berlin: circa 6.000 to 10.000 are currently living in the streets of Berlin., Circa 50.000 people have no permanent home and considered to be homeless, even though they don´t live on the street.

Women, families, and migrants are hit the hardest. Those people are more frequently in danger of losing the roofs over their heads, even if they have rented apartments.

Affordable housing is becoming very rare in Germany. The housing market doesn’t cover the actual demand. 1.9 million affordable flats nationwide are lacking. People are paying rents which are too high compared to their average incomes. There is a strong need for even more construction for social housing and the strengthening of rent control laws.

As temperatures are dropping below zero this winter, we should all be concerned about how we can help all these people sleeping out there. This article will explain to you how and where you can get involved and offer support, help and the right to human dignity to all of those in need.

There are many projects that work on homelessness you may find on our platform GoVolunteer. Either you are in Berlin or in some other city in Germany, through this platform you will find different projects aimed to support homeless people and get your chance to contribute.

Here are just a few examples:

Rise Foundation e.V. is a Berlin-based charity that helps homeless people through regular outreach programs by providing them plant based food, sanitary items and clothes. They constantly need volunteers as part of their distribution teams. Rise Foundation e.V. recently won the “Ausgezeichtes-Engagement”-seal, with which our advisory committee rewards excellent social projects. 

Berliner Obdachlosenhilfe organizes reliefs tours through Berlin every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. They distribute cooked food, clothing and other necessary things to homeless people. The food is prepared in Wedding and then distributed around 4 different stations: Leopoldplatz, Alexanderplatz, Kottbusser Tor and Hansaplatz on Sundays only.

When you notice someone sleeping outside, you should contact this phone number: (0178) 523 58-38.

Kältebus provides transports to different shelters across the city for homeless people. It’s important, however, that you talk to the person and ask if he/she wants to be transported before you make the phone call. In case of emergencies, you should contact the ambulance (national code for the ambulance: 112)

This service works from the 1st of November to the 31st of March.