From BZ/dpa
People without their own apartment can get help in various places in Berlin when it is very hot – this not only applies to the next two days, when temperatures of up to 39 degrees are expected in the region.
For the homeless or homeless, a model project “Wärmehilfe” by the social association IB Berlin-Brandenburg started on Kurmärkische Straße 1-3 in Berlin-Schöneberg on Monday. Those affected can stay there every day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., shower and rest.
They will also receive food and drinks, as well as thermos flasks, clothing, sleeping bags and sun protection products if needed, the IB said. In addition, there are advisory services for people who live on the street, either completely or part of the time.
What is new about the project is that structures for the annual cold relief are now also being used for heat relief, said a spokesman for the social administration. The Senate is supporting the project, which will initially run until the end of September, with almost 106,000 euros.
According to the social administration, 23 homeless pilots are also on the road in the city for the heat aid of the social provider Karuna. They speak to people without a roof over their heads, distribute water, sunscreen, glasses or hygiene items if necessary and check their general state of health in order to call for medical help if necessary. Karuna also operates several “cooling buses” where people can stay and recover from heat stress.
According to the social administration, the Karuna heat aid for homeless people has been working since 2020. The Senate supports the initiative with 400,000 euros annually and finances the positions of the pilots through the Solidarity Basic Income project.
According to the information, the Senate is promoting a somewhat smaller project in the Tabor community in Kreuzberg (Taborstrasse 17), which has been active in cold relief for a long time. The parish offers people without a roof over their heads twice a week – always on Wednesdays and Sundays – a cool retreat and drinks.
“Life on the street is dangerous, extreme heat and extreme cold make it life-threatening,” said Senator for Social Affairs Katja Kipping (left) when asked by the dpa. Her spokesman Stefan Strauss also pointed out that the homeless are not only affected by the cold, but also by the heat.
“Life on the streets offers little opportunity to cool off and carries the constant risk of dehydration,” he explained. “In summer there are fewer retreats and hardly any access to cooled rooms. The Senate Social Administration has therefore been funding heat aid projects for people living on the streets since 2020.”
Berliner Wasserbetriebe publishes a list of all public drinking fountains on the Internet (www.bwb.de/de/trinkbrunnen). In a number of Berlin cafés, bars and shops with the refill sticker on the window, you can have tap water filled in containers you have brought with you free of charge (https://refill-deutschland.de/berlin).