ByUlrich Jonas
Housing First programmes, whereby people experiencing homelessness are provided with accommodation before other underlying issues are addressed, have been successfully implemented around the world.
A Housing First trial is now up and running in Hamburg, Germany, where a three-year project will see the city and wider support network secure accommodation for 30 people. Jens has already moved into his apartment, while Doro is still waiting for a place of her own.
On an evening shortly before Christmas 2022, Jens, 61, took a backpack, sleeping bag and sleeping mat and took the subway to a yellow brick apartment block in the Hamm district.
This article first appeared in Hinz&Kunzt, a magazine sold on the streets of Hamburg, Germany, by people who have limited other ways of earning an income.