Housing First in Kassel: A successful path from homelessness

Housing First in Kassel: A successful path from homelessness

In Kassel, the Housing First project is seen as an important solution to the challenges of homelessness. While it has existed for almost two years, the operators face enormous hurdles, especially on the housing market. The approach of bringing homeless people without any further conditions to fixed tenancy has already helped 31 people into stable conditions.

The difficulties of housing acquisition

The living space acquisition proves to be extremely complicated. Martin Schenker from the Diakonisches Werk points out that the number of social housing in Kassel has dropped drastically in the past two decades. This has led to high pressure on the housing market and makes access for the target group - people without a permanent residence who have been in the city for more than two years. "The demand is great, but the availability of living space is limited," explains Schenker.

comprehensive support for homeless people

The support goes beyond the pure apartment brokerage. The specialists of the project, including Vera Latermann, Sarah Becker and Marwa Farighi, often work directly with those affected. They not only help with finding an apartment, but also offer support in coping with other fundamental difficulties such as missing identification or debts. "We first have to tie people back to the system," says Farighi and illustrates the time and resources that are necessary to find permanent solutions.

financing and organization of the project

The Housing First Project is promoted by the EU, supplemented by the federal government and the sponsors themselves. The total funding is around 970,000 euros for four years, explains Schenker. However, the challenge is not only the financial support, but also to ensure long -term streaking of the success, which remains open after the four years.

The role of the city of Kassel and future perspectives

The city of Kassel acts as an important cooperation partner and helps to establish contact with housing associations. However, the large private landlords are still hesitant. "In other countries where housing is very successful, the state has acquired apartments to meet the need," says Schenker. A possible solution could be the awareness of employees in job centers in order to promote a holistic approach to combating homelessness. "First of all, those affected have to find an apartment, then they have their head free for the job search," adds Manuela Strube, State Secretary who observes the progress of the project.

outlook and social meaning

The results of the project are encouraging, but there is a lot to do. "At least 180 people a year have to be advised and we have already reached 437 people," reports Schenker. The ongoing evaluation will help identify the most effective methods and to improve the help system in the long term. Kassel's example shows how important it is to find and implement innovative approaches to solve the homelessness crisis, while at the same time building the barriers that make access to living space more difficult.

- Nag