Germany currently holds the highest homelessness rate in Europe, with 372,000 identified as homeless in 2023 according to the Federal Statistical Office. With figures almost double those of last year, what is causing the surge?
By Olivia Watts and Bente van Diepen
It is a never good time of the year to be homeless, but with the peak of winter fast approaching, the challenge is intensified. Though not a new problem, homelessness is on the rise across Europe, with Germany currently holding the highest number of homeless people across the city.
As struggles with the cost of living ensue, Germany is seeing a steep increase in people living in poverty, with limited access to food and shelter.
Spokesperson for Berliner Stadtmission, Barbara Breuer explains “we see around 600 people every day who come to get their food.”
According to figures published by the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA), Germany recorded a total of 84,500 people identifying as homeless in 2022, proving that “policy responses to the rising number of people without a home in European countries remains insufficient.”
With escalated living costs, housing shortages and the impact of the Russo-Ukrainian War, it is no surprise that Germany is experiencing the increase.
A higher population, a higher homeless rate
As stated in reports published by the Federal Homeless Group on Working Aid (BAG W), the recorded figures for the number of homeless people in 2022 showed a proportion of 29% holding German citizenship. The other 71% did not.
The report showed that the predominant cause of homelessness for those with German citizenship was job termination (57%), rent and energy debts (21%), conflicts in the living environment (20%) and divorce (16%). For non-Germans, the vast majority were shown to have never gained access to a home in Germany, proving the root cause of homelessness to be departure from their native country.
Following the increased numbers of displaced people as an effect of the Russo-Ukrainian War, in combination with a steady increase from other conflicted areas, the figures lean overwhelmingly toward refugees accounting for a large proportion of homelessness across Germany.
On speaking about rising numbers in homelessness, Chris Melzer, spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) explained that “there were drastic changes, without a doubt […] there are more people and people who have lost their homes, and not everybody can find shelter here in Germany.”
Following this influx, Germany is now the third biggest host country for refugees, with a total of 2.4 million. At a challenging time with increased demand, the need for voluntary organisations and external support has become greater, calling attention to the need for a great governmental response.
“Until now, the system is functioning thanks to so many people who are helping. I am talking about organised volunteers who are working for the Red Cross, churches, and other NGOs, but also ordinary people who just help refugees. We saw it in 2022, as we did in 2016/17, that people just help other people,” Melzer continued.
For homeless people without German citizenship, societal reasons are not alone at the source of the problem, but rather the personal strain of being displaced.
“The biggest difference [for homeless refugees] of course is something no government could provide. You are uprooted, you are not at home anymore—you probably do not know what is happening at home or to your loved ones,” Melzer said.
Despite the rise in number of homeless people, UNHCR has described the situation as manageable, with the living conditions between German and non-German homeless people being comparable.
“Asylum seekers have a standard, like people who are unemployed for example, and this includes housing, healthcare etc. for the refugees, even a little more than the asylum seekers, so it can be seen to be close to the German society,” Melzer emphasised.
UNHCR has challenged the narrative that homelessness amongst refugees is at an all-time high.
Speaking on whether homelessness is a major problem, Melzer emphasised “What we know from our daily talks with the refugee council is that we do not see it as a major problem.”
“We are talking about 84 million people living here in Germany, I am afraid we must face the situation that there will be homeless people when you have so many people in one place […] that does not mean ignoring the problem, like it is natural, of course not. I would not call it a crisis, a problem sure, without any doubt and we need to take care of it, but not a crisis,” he continued.
The power of people
For many sleeping rough, there is nowhere to turn to. It is times like these where non-profit organisations prove to be an essential resource to those in need.
Beginning in times of industrialisation, with a mission of providing a place of safety for those in need, Berliner Stadtmission, a social organisation taking care of homeless people, see hundreds of people every day in search of food.
Speaking on a local level, spokesperson for Berliner Stadtmission, Barbara Breuer explained the increase in homelessness can be linked to the increase in poverty across Germany.
“Poverty is on the rise in Berlin, more and more people cannot afford to go and buy their food by themself,” Breuer said.
As seen with support for refugees, voluntary work is essential in controlling the needs of the homeless. To rely on the government alone, would not be possible.
“I think that the holes that need to be stuffed are becoming bigger and bigger for lots of organisations, as there are lots of people who need help […] we have wonderful people helping us here, voluntarily, and if they would not come, we would have to close this facility and not be able to open the doors every day,” Breuer continued.
Berliner Stadtmission does not only act as a refuge for the homeless but also for the community.
For frequent visitor, Helga, Berliner Stadtmission provides a “social hub” during lonelier times.
“Yesterday, someone gifted me a small Christmas tree, and I was so happy I cried,” Helga told us.
Breuer explained the importance of this for members of the community, “We are kind of a substitute for family, so people come here to tell us about their wellbeing, how they are, how they slept etc […] It’s just someone [they] can talk to, someone who will listen.”
Berliner Stadtmission may be among the biggest organisations in Germany, but smaller organisations are also making fundamental changes.
1892 Hilft, formed from a group of football fans, all “united by the desire to make [the] city a little bit better”, introduced their ‘soup bus’, accessible every Tuesday and Thursday, providing a place for homeless people in Berlin to access warm food.
André Ruschkowski, responsible for driving the soup bus, explains its importance to the community.
“People come here, who do not have enough money to eat. In Alexanderplatz, we have a lot of homeless people and drug takers,” Ruschkowski said.
“Everybody can access the soup […] but when we see a poor person, someone with no shoes for example, we want to help him especially,” Ruschkowski continued.
Berliner Stadtmission, 1892Hilft providing support at a time of increased need. Credit: Bente van Diepen
Response from the state
With considerable support from the public, the question remains: how is the government responding?
Proposed by the Green parliamentary group, Die Grünen, in 2019 “Ensuring the Human Right to Housing—Consistently Combatting Homelessness”, aimed to respond to the surge by encouraging the government to establish a plan of action. This is intended to provide easier access to accommodation, to lower homelessness rates.
Spokesperson for the party, Hanna Steinmuller, explains “the measures [are] aimed at strengthening homeless prevention, including changes in rental law and a housing policy for affordable housing.”
As the party were not part of the elected federal government until 2021, the party could not shape policy decisions until very recently.
Advocating to address homelessness, in alliance with the ‘traffic light’ government (Social Democrats (SDP) and Liberals (FDP)), Die Grünen party introduced a national action plan.
“Currently being developed by the responsible ministry, this program’s goal is to overcome homelessness by 2030,” Steinmuller said.
“It is a central concern for the ‘traffic light’ government to overcome homelessness in Germany by 2030. We bear a responsibility to ensure that every person in our country can afford a roof over their head […] all political levels, including federal, state, and local governments, are collaboratively working with affected individuals, social organisations, and the housing sector towards this objective,” Steinmuller continued.
According to Bundesministerium für Wohnen, Stadtentwicklung und Bauwesen, translated to ‘Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Construction,’ the implementation of the action plan will consist of annual work programs, self-organized forums, support through scientific expertise, annual review meetings and process control by federal departments.
Setting an example
With Germany grappling with meeting such an increased demand, looking to other countries’ methods can prove useful.
As homelessness figures soar across many European countries, Finland, alongside Denmark, have been named the only European countries where homelessness is decreasing. The common factor being the ‘Housing First Policy’ which both countries have adopted.
The First Housing Policy is based on the idea of providing a home to the homeless before asking for any conditions in return. This means that the person in need would not require a job, be sober, or need to change their lifestyle in any way before being provided accommodation. Housing is provided first.
It comes from the idea that people can move forward more easily when they have a place to stay. According to Finland’s Ministry of the Environment, the number of long-term homeless people decreased by 35% between 2008, when Housing First was implemented, and 2015. In 2016, Finland saw homeless figures fall below 7,000 for the first time.
According to figures published by the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA), homelessness has been on the decline for 8 continuous years in Finland.
Whilst many will argue that there is no miracle cure for homelessness, Finland’s strategy is proving a great success.
According to a case study conducted by The Atlas, a hub for political case studies, it has been estimated that Housing First has provided 4,600 homes in the past decade. In addition, it is predicted that 4 out of 5 people securing Housing First properties will keep their flat and lead a more stable life, and 20% of those who leave either do so of their own accord or are unable to pay the rent. Even in these cases, they are still able to reapply for housing support.
The proof is in the figures when it comes to Finland being a successful country for tackling homelessness.
The Solutions
Homelessness can appear in many forms, making the complexity of the problem difficult to approach. However, there is never a harder time of the year to be without a home, increasing the need for support. Amidst a time of difficulty for many in Germany, members of the community have enlisted themselves to act.
From volunteering to donating clothing and supplies, there are many ways the community can help, and fortunately, this is being seen every day.
Dario Adamic, founder of ‘homeless veggie dinners,’ organised by a group of friends, is proof of how a little can go a long way.
Starting in 2010 by chance, Adamic, alongside friends, began hosting monthly dinners for people without access to food.
Over their years of operation, ‘homeless veggie dinners’ have brought people together, slowly changing the stigma around homelessness.
“The idea is that when you see a poorly dressed person on the street and they approach you, most people just walk away, they feel uncomfortable. This is a natural human reaction. But the thing is, when you sit at the same table and the reason you came is the same reason they came, for food and company, you do not have this feeling,” Adamic explained.
“This dinner is a great excuse to open the doors to communication, where people can sit and be with each other, and talk about things,” he continued.
For many homeless people, the ‘silent’ challenge is loneliness. When asked for his biggest piece of advice for the public, Adamic emphasised the significance of being acknowledged.
“The most important thing for the people who live on the margin of our society is to be acknowledged, this means a lot. People walk by and they do not see them, they are invisible, and this invisibility is what hurts them the most,” he said.
“Talking to a person on the street does not cost you anything, maybe give them more than money can give,” he continued.