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🇸🇪 Sweden /Culture & Society

People in need: This place shows the diverse reasons for homelessness

From Svenska Dagbladet · () Swedish

Translated from Swedish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Berlin's Kottbusser Tor area highlights the diverse reasons for homelessness.
  • Services like the 'Nachthafen' offer temporary respite, providing tea and conversation to those on the street.
  • Homelessness is not reducible to a single cause, with factors including violence, separation, and mental health issues contributing.
  • The number of homeless individuals, particularly older and care-dependent people, is reportedly rising in Berlin.

The area around Kottbusser Tor in Berlin, a bustling urban hub, starkly illustrates the complex realities of homelessness, where lives on the street unfold mere meters from vibrant nightlife.

The street is already hard.

— Stefanie Dunkel-JanßenThe project leader at Johanniter described the difficult conditions faced by people living on the streets.

Amidst rising temperatures and the opening of local bars, many individuals continue to live outdoors, seeking refuge in train station underpasses or struggling with drug use. For them, the street is a constant reality. Services like the Johanniter's 'Nachthafen' offer a temporary sanctuary, providing hot tea and sandwiches, but crucially, a space for conversation and a brief escape from the harshness of outdoor life.

These are individuals. Again and again, I meet people where outsiders might ask themselves: 'Why did this happen to him? He actually had everything.'

— Stefanie Dunkel-JanßenDunkel-Janßen highlighted the diverse backgrounds of homeless individuals, challenging simplistic assumptions.

Project leader Stefanie Dunkel-Janßen emphasizes that the stories shared at Nachthafen reveal the diverse and often traumatic experiences that lead to homelessness. "The street is already hard," she notes, highlighting the importance of a place where guests can find peace for a few hours. She stresses that homelessness cannot be attributed to a single cause, countering a common misconception that it stems solely from addiction or mental illness.

There are many circumstances that lead to some people living the way they do or having to live.

— Stefanie Dunkel-JanßenDunkel-Janßen emphasized that homelessness results from a multitude of factors.

While official figures estimate around 6,000 homeless individuals in Berlin, aid organizations believe the number is significantly higher and rising. Tanja Schmidt from the association Straßenfeger points out that many seeking help suffer from severe psychiatric illnesses or addiction. However, she also observes a growing number of older and care-dependent homeless individuals who fall through the cracks of existing support systems, which are often not equipped to handle their specific needs. Furthermore, Schmidt notes that relationship breakdowns and the tight housing market also contribute significantly to people becoming homeless, even those who are employed.

Tendency massively increasing.

— Tanja SchmidtSchmidt from the association Straßenfeger described the rising trend in homelessness.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Svenska Dagbladet in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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