As of: March 1, 2024, 9:37 a.m
By: Josef Hornsteiner
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Outdated: The emergency shelter on the Loisachauen in Garmisch-Partenkirchen should at best make way for a new building.
20 residents in emergency accommodation Staff difficult to find © FOTOPRESS THOMAS SEHR
The homeless shelter on the Loisachauen costs the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen a lot of money.
Paradoxically, a new building could provide financial relief - since restructuring the current accommodation would bring in subsidies from the state.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen – An Italian citizen is looking for work and drives his old car across the border into Germany.
At Garmisch-Partenkirchen the car no longer works, it breaks down - total economic loss.
Because he is mentally ill and penniless, the man is unable to pay for the repairs himself.
A car repair shop near the Loisachauen agrees to tow his car.
But the Italian now no longer wants to leave the district town without his car - and goes to the homeless shelter on the Loisachwegen.
There are plenty of fates like this.
20 people are currently living in the emergency shelter.
19 male, one female.
A lot has changed since the Munich Men's Welfare Association (KMFV) has been taking care of the facility on behalf of the market town since 2021.
Before, the picture was at times terrible: beds covered in feces, urine on floors, piles of rubbish.
The employees were initially more busy with cleaning work than with their actual task.
“We had to ensure humane accommodation again,” says Barbara Cunradi-Rutz.
Conditions in the homeless shelter have now improved.
But social worker Cunradi-Rutz and her colleagues are far from reaching their goal.
The emergency shelter has largely disappeared from the negative headlines.
But there is still a lot of work ahead of them, as Cunradi-Rutz announced at the social and regulatory committee meeting in the town hall.
Accommodation costs manpower, time and money - a new building with a new concept could help
The social worker has been working at the facility for three years now.
It took some time until the old building in the commercial area could be brought back into shape.
Now a new building, ideally in a different, more central location, should solve some problems - especially financial ones.
Because accommodation costs not only labor and time, but also money.
Since the accommodation of homeless people is a sovereign municipal task, the market town is responsible for it and must cover the costs accordingly.
One problem has already been solved: In the past, when the police picked up people without a place of residence, they also brought them from the smaller neighboring towns to Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
“But every municipality is responsible for its own homeless people,” says Deputy Mayor Claudia Zolk (CSB).
“Nevertheless, the market is currently also home to homeless people from many other communities, because it is an imperative of humanity to help these women and men,” she continues.
Here the market town has become stricter.
The police were contacted and the matter was clarified.
Cunradi-Rutz is certain that a new building would actually be cheaper for the community in the long term.
This would enable a residential group to be set up, which would provide funding opportunities.
The advantage: the market community would no longer have to cover all the costs itself.
But the location would also have to be changed.
The homeless are not in good hands in the commercial area beyond a center.
Shortage of staff: Positions need to be filled urgently
In addition, the emergency shelter continues to struggle with staffing problems.
On May 31, 2023, a social worker resigned, reports Cunradi-Rutz.
“Despite intensive advertising, we are having considerable difficulty filling the position.” There is a lack of suitable applicants.
And because of the “unfavorable general and working conditions at the Loisachauer location,” qualified specialists “always opted for other positions.”
Despite his official retirement, employee Manfred Baierlacher agreed to temporarily increase his hourly quota, which was a short-term rescue.
The orphan position could be filled on October 1, 2023 - “unfortunately we also had to terminate this employment relationship on December 31, 2023.”
The KMFV did not utilize the hourly quota and the budget for social services.
With these funds, the association was at least able to recruit Monika Haseidl as a teaching assistant, who is also available for simple caretaker services.
“During this time, it has proven to be a stroke of luck for the KMFV, for the market town and for the entire facility,” says Cunradi-Rutz happily.
Haseidl accompanies residents to doctor's appointments, guides them in renovations, helps implement hygiene measures and organizes events such as the Advent celebration or a visit to the Barber Angels, a charitable association of hairdressers.
“The success can be clearly seen in the improved condition of the residents' rooms.” Cunradi-Rutz showed this to the social committee using photos: away from dirty and littered rooms and towards clean and tidy rooms.
Since Haseidl represents a great relief, the KMFV has now extended her contract with the consent of the market town.
However, those responsible have so far been unsuccessful in finding a part-time worker.
But more construction sites are opening up: larger garbage cans or containers are needed.
Because waste separation is anything but easy to set up.
“We recently had someone with a blood alcohol level of 5.08.
It’s hard to teach someone like that that waste has to be separated,” says Cunradi-Rutz resignedly.