New accommodation: More sleeping places for the homeless in Berlin

Food is on a table at the Kältehilfe centre.

Two new shelters will provide more emergency accommodation for homeless people in Berlin shortly before Christmas.

These include a facility for women only, as announced by the Senate Department for Labour, Social Affairs, Equality, Integration, Diversity and Anti-Discrimination on Tuesday. A total of 1181 emergency sleeping places are now available in the capital each night, including the 172 places in the new facilities.

New accommodation in Charlottenburg and Reinickendorf

The larger of the two shelters is a former office building in Charlottenburg, according to reports. It will open on Wednesday and will offer homeless people a roof over their heads until the end of April 2024. People in wheelchairs will also be able to stay there. The facility for women with 22 places is located in Reinickendorf and has been open since Monday, according to the Senate Social Welfare Department.

Cold weather aid at times heavily utilised

During the snow and ice a few weeks ago, some of the existing shelters were already very busy. A lack of space sometimes leads to overcrowding, especially in popular, centrally located accommodation. This can mean that people are sleeping on benches and on the floor in the dining room.