Dresden Draws Attention to the Plight of the Homeless During Heat Waves

The city of Dresden is launching a campaign to raise awareness of the difficult situation faced by homeless people during heat waves. The City-Light billboards bear the slogan “Shade Instead of the Street. Dresden Is Paying Attention!” and provide information about available assistance, the city administration announced. The goal is to raise awareness among residents. One hundred of these posters will be on display from next Tuesday through August 4.

Dresden Plans to Expand Heat Shelters

“Heat hits people without shelter particularly hard and poses an immediate threat to their health. We don’t just want to raise awareness, but to provide concrete help—and at the same time encourage the people of Dresden to take notice and share in the responsibility,” explained Kristin Klaudia Kaufmann (The Left), the city’s mayor for social affairs. Every effort is being made to expand cooling centers, strengthen support networks, and thus protect lives in collaboration with the city’s community. 

Heat Poses a Particular Risk to the Homeless

At the end of June, a new temperature record of more than 40 degrees Celsius was set in Dresden’s Neustadt district. “Such temperatures place a heavy strain on the body and can be life-threatening, especially for homeless people. Anyone who is exposed to the sun all day, has no access to cool indoor spaces, or doesn’t drink enough water is particularly at risk during extreme heat,” the city explains in support of its initiative.

Emergency Housing Assistance Open Even During Heat Waves

Dresden’s emergency housing assistance facilities remain open as drop-in centers even on hot days, offering shelter and practical help. “Our services are available even in the summer. Since the heat is expected to increase in the coming years, we want to further expand our summer emergency assistance, similar to what we do for cold-weather emergency assistance,” emphasized Christian Knappe, head of the Social Services Office.

Mobile street outreach teams also on duty as points of contact

General advice on how to cope with the heat is often not enough for homeless people, officials said. Dresden is therefore providing support through public drinking water stations and mobile street outreach teams. Citizens can also help by approaching homeless people on hot days if they appear to need assistance. Free drinking water is available at several locations throughout the city. 

The poster campaign complements the winter campaign “A Bed Instead of a Bench. Dresden Is Paying Attention!”, through which the state capital raises awareness annually from November 1 to March 31 about assistance available to homeless people during the cold season.