Feverish search for housing for war refugees

Created: 03/05/2022, 02:00 p.m

By: Stefan Reich, Tobias Gehre

Fürstenfeldbruck and other municipalities are looking for accommodation for refugees from Ukraine.

(Iconic image) © Sina Schuldt/dpa

The war in Ukraine is driving more and more people to flee.

Refugees are also arriving in the district.

This poses great challenges for municipalities and authorities.

District

- "We are doing what we can in this dramatic global political situation," says Fürstenfeldbruck's second mayor Christian Stangl, who runs the business in the town hall during the carnival holiday week.

The city has been available since Monday to act as an intermediary - between Bruckers who want to offer apartments or rooms for refugees and citizens who need space to accommodate relatives or friends from Ukraine.

The city has also made the homeless shelter in Hasenheide, which is currently only sparsely occupied, available for this purpose.

45 apartments have been reported to the district office, says Stangl.

Those who have already arrived and have a place to stay no longer have to go to the initial reception center in Munich to register.

Ukrainians can also register at the district office to receive benefits, have health insurance or be allowed to work.

They should also report to the city’s residents’ registration office “on occasion”.

It is different for refugees who cannot find a place to stay themselves or through relatives.

They are to be distributed further from the arrival center in Munich, also in the branch of the Manching anchor center at the Brucker air base.

The government of Upper Bavaria, which operates the branch, informed the city of this on Monday.

According to the government of Upper Bavaria, a good 50 people from Ukraine were housed there by Friday morning.

Around 600 people currently live there.

Up to 1000 are initially planned, writes the government of Upper Bavaria on request.

However, the capacity could be “promptedly increased” if required.

In order to have as many places as possible for those who are now arriving, asylum seeker families with children who were previously accommodated at the air base are to be increasingly relocated to decentralized accommodation.

The district office reported on Friday of up to 55 places in two empty decentralized accommodations.

With a bit of advance notice, many more could be created.

There are also 110 accommodation offers from private individuals.

pastor needed

Many of the arriving refugees need psychological help.

Fürstenfeldbruck's integration officer, Willi Dräxler, reports an increased demand for pastoral care from clergy among the helpers at Munich Central Station.

The traumas of the people are very fresh.

"People had a completely normal life from which they were suddenly torn out," says Dräxler.

He assumes that pastoral workers from the churches will now also be increasingly needed in the district.

In the parish association Fürstenfeldbruck one is prepared.

Pastor Otto Gäng explains that pastors are also available at short notice – as are interpreters.

It is important to listen to the often traumatic experiences.

"And you have to tell people that their feelings, their fears and also their physical reactions in this situation are completely normal."