The cold and rising prices for energy and food are currently making life difficult for many people. Homeless people are particularly affected by this. The Diakonie Sachsen demands more support.
Radebeul (dpa/sn) - The Diakonie Sachsen is calling for more commitment from the federal, state and local governments in the fight against homelessness. "It is political and official (wrong) decisions in the area of the housing market, the labor market, as well as health and social policy, which, in combination with limited individual opportunities, lead to poverty and ultimately to the loss of one's home," said the head of Diakonie Sachsen , Dietrich Bauer, on Monday in Radebeul. The federal, state and local governments must initiate effective measures to combat and prevent homelessness. According to the Diakonie, so-called prevention centers could help here.
On Tuesday (January 31, 2022), the Federal Statistical Office will start surveying homeless people for the second time. However, it could still be a while before the final figures are published, a Diakonie spokeswoman said on request. Last year, as of the reporting date, around 178,000 homeless people were housed in emergency and community accommodation as well as temporary overnight accommodation.
Many families and single parents who just got through the pandemic financially are no longer making any progress, said Bauer. This is noticeable, among other things, in the great demand for advice. Especially with rent arrears, terminations, eviction actions, forced evictions and apartment searches, a lot of help is needed.
"Right now, in the middle of the inflation and energy crisis, the issue is coming to a head again," says Bauer. Affordable housing is one of the most important social issues of this time. Last year there were almost 2,700 forced evictions in Saxony alone. According to the Diakonie, more and more people do not have their own rental contract and their own home. In addition, more than 1,000 people in Saxony were housed in emergency shelters last winter. Those who were completely outside were not even recorded.
