HOUSING FIRST – A FLAT AS THE BEDROCK FOR DAILY LIFE.

The number of people threatened or affected by homelessness has been increasing steadily for a number of years. At the same time, the supply of affordable housing has continued to decline. This situation is leading to significant problems. It is becoming increasingly difficult to provide vulnerable people with accommodation and thus enable them to partake in society.

This alarming trend has not gone unnoticed by the municipality of Neuwied. Homelessness is usually the result of personal misfortune, and anyone can be affected by it. Homeless people report health issues, family breakdown, job loss, addictions and experience of violence as typical causes. An increasing number of people lack the social and financial safety net that would enable them to overcome these life crises through their own efforts.

Since mid-2021, the Wirtgen Foundations, the local Caritas Association and the City of Neuwied have been working on a concept intended to give homeless people a fresh start and prospects for the future. Subsequently, the joint project “Housing First” was launched in December. Housing First means offering homeless people decent, secure accommodation with their own tenancy agreement as a first step. Having established a secure foundation in the form of their own apartment, their other problems can then be addressed one by one.

The necessary accommodation being provided by the Wirtgen Foundations forms the basis for implementing this social project in Neuwied. With the help of personalised support by Caritas Association social workers, short and long-term goals are then worked out together with those affected; these goals are then pursued.

The first successes are already being seen, despite the project only having run for a short time so far. Since its launch, four flats have been acquired by the Foundations and the first two have already been let out and handed over. Two homeless Neuwied citizens have been able to enter into a regular, open-ended tenancy agreement. Since having their own flat, their general health has improved rapidly and the first of their personal goals has been achieved. With a secure home to serve as a solid base, the two tenants have now rediscovered their own skills and capabilities and even put them to use. Reintegration into the job market is now a realistic prospect.

The basis for a long-term collaboration between the Wirtgen Foundations, the Caritas Association and the City of Neuwied has been laid and the project partners are planning to gradually expand its scope.