In view of falling temperatures, Diakonie Sachsen is calling for greater efforts to prevent homelessness. "Anyone who keeps their home does not need help in the cold," explained the Protestant welfare organization. Although Diakonie's facilities provide additional overnight accommodation for the winter, they want to focus more on prevention. Cities, districts and the Free State should secure support services in the long term and increase spending on preventative measures.
"Our Diaconal Housing Emergency Aid advice centers are doing everything they can to prevent people from losing their homes," said Rotraud Kießling, the Diaconal Housing Emergency Aid Officer at Diakonie Sachsen. Almost half of the people who visited the advice centers last year still had their own apartment. By working closely with landlords, it is often possible to prevent the loss of an apartment or to enable people to move back in.
