They are not yet available in official statistics, but current estimates show that the number of homeless people in Germany is increasing. In 2018, 678,000 people were without housing, 4.2 percent more than the year before, as the newspapers of the Funke media group, citing the Federal Working Community (BAG) reported homelessness assistance. In 2017, the number of people without a flat was still 650,000.
According to the report, in 2018 about 41,000 people lived on the street without any accommodation. The number of homeless people without a refugee background rose at 1.2 percent less than the number of homeless recognized refugees with 5.9 percent, said the managing director of the BAG homeless assistance, Werena Rosenke.
According to the BAG Wohnungslosenhilfe, around 70 percent of homeless people without a refugee background were single persons in 2018, and 30 percent lived together with partners and / or children. The number of children and minor adolescents was estimated to be eight percent.
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Rosenke cited the insufficient supply of affordable housing, shrinking social housing stock and the consolidation of poverty as the main reasons for the rising number of homeless people. "In particular, there is a lack of affordable housing for people in the low-income sector, for people receiving transfer payments, and for recognized refugees."
Single parents and young adults are particularly vulnerable groups. But also the impending poverty of the generation of cheap jobbers, solo self-employed and other precariously employed people is worrying, said Rosenke.
So far, there is no official statistics on homelessness. But that should change. A recent law provides for the introduction of homeless reporting and statistics on housed homeless people. Thus, according to the Ministry of Labor, a nationwide data base on the extent and structure of homelessness in Germany is created for the first time.
Statistics should enable help
The data should also be used to develop social policies against homelessness.
The bill stipulates that the Federal Statistical Office will record the number of homeless people who have been accommodated as of the 31 January deadline - ie homeless people claiming accommodation.
It should include information on gender, age, nationality, household type and size, type of accommodation and the date of commencement of accommodation. For the first time, the new federal statistics for January 31, 2022 planned.