The city has had to accommodate more and more homeless people for years. The corona pandemic caused the number to stagnate briefly at around 9,000, but because the need for overcoming the pandemic is likely to rise significantly again, social affairs officer Dorothee Schiwy (SPD) wants to create additional accommodation for up to 700 homeless people as early as next year.
They are to be accommodated in flexible homes, associations and pensions. Since the contracts for some of the currently around 3,500 beds for immediate accommodation in commercial accommodation establishments such as pensions are also expiring, the social department must secure 1,500 beds by tendering at the beginning of 2022.
Schiwy attributes the fact that the housing shortage did not increase further this year and last to the corona-related restrictions. For example, the population growth in 2020 was lower than in previous years due to significantly reduced migration. Despite the undiminished new building activity, however, the demand for beds has remained the same. Schiwy therefore expects the number of homeless to rise again as soon as the pandemic eases. The city’s immediate accommodation system therefore urgently needs more capacity in order to be able to offer all those seeking help a roof over their heads.
In addition, Schiwy wants to secure more beds in cheap pensions. In the longer term, by 2025, the number of places in flexi homes is to be increased from the current 840 to 5000. With a kitchenette and wet room in the room and common rooms, they offer temporary accommodation and can be adapted to the needs of different target groups such as single people, couples or families: “This means that during the long waiting time for an apartment in Munich, a situation can be created that has largely changed how living feels “, explains the social officer.
Two more flexi-homes for a total of around 200 residents are to be opened next year. Due to the extremely difficult situation on the Munich real estate market, the construction of flexi-homes, which enable better quality accommodation than, for example, in pensions and emergency quarters, is not progressing as quickly as originally hoped.