Jonny's fight against homelessness: a way back into life

Jonny's fight against homelessness: a way back into life

Nordhorn, Deutschland - In Lower Saxony, an estimated around 33,000 people are homeless. An example of the challenges with which many affected people are confronted is the story of Jonny, a 40-year-old who lived homeless for three years. Most recently, he moved into a sleeping place in Nordhorn, where he slept in a sleeping bag on an isolate and had only a bicycle trailer with his few belongings. NDR Reporter Claus Halstrup accompanied Jonny over a period of three months and documented his way back to life.

Jonny suffered from strong alcohol abuse, which increasingly led to social isolation. To cope with his everyday life, he consumed about three bottles of wine every day. The trigger for his alcohol addiction was a serious accident that resulted in his father's death. Previously, Jonny had completed an apprenticeship as a cook and founded a clearing company, but had to fail when he could no longer cope with the accounting and ultimately lost his apartment.

The way to improve

An attack on the North Horn Christmas market also tightened Jonny’s situation. At the time of the attack, he was not insured, which led to a financial burden, since the city of Nordhorn initially covered the hospital costs. Jonny found support in Bianca Wagner, who accompanied him in his detoxification and helped him to take a new way of life. This detoxification phase began in February after it was insured again. It included three -day care by experts and participation in a self -help group for former alcoholic in Nordhorn.

Today Jonny moved into a small room and currently lives alcohol -free. He enjoys the evenings in the self -help group, where he meets people who pursue similar goals. His motivation to take his life back in hand is also strengthened by his three children who live in foster families. Jonny’s progress continues in the NDR program "Hello Lower Saxony".

Andreas Jung experienced a similar fate, who had to deal with alcohol problems as a teenager. His alcohol abuse became a serious problem during his studies in Marburg, which meant that he could not stay in several shared apartments and ultimately became homeless. Jung also looked for help and found support in a self -help group that helped him get rid of drinking and finding a job. But the challenges did not fail to do: In the mid -30s, he developed serious psychological problems that led to a further loss of his apartment.

In Germany, around 678,000 people were homeless in 2018, and many of them suffered from mental illnesses. Nine out of ten homeless people are affected by a mental illness in the course of their lives. The reasons for homelessness are diverse and range from family problems, financial bottlenecks and mental illnesses. Two thirds of those affected already had their mental problems before losing their apartment. Finally, with the support of programs for assisted living, Andreas Jung was able to return to a regulated life and describes his current life situation as stable and satisfied.