© dpa
The Housing First approach will continue to be pursued and expanded in Berlin over the next few years. Three new project sponsors have recently been launched, with another to follow at the beginning of August.
According to the Senate Department for Social Services, the continuation of the project is stipulated in the government policy guidelines 2023-2026. So far, Housing First recorded two project sponsors: the Berlin City Mission and the Social Service of Catholic Women. In May 2023, the Phinove association became the third executing agency. At the beginning of June, two more followed with the counseling service Schwulenberatung Berlin and ZIK - Zuhause im Kiez. My Way Soziale Dienste will start a corresponding project at the beginning of August.
Cansel Kiziltepe (SPD), Senator for Labor, Social Services, Gender Equality, Integration, Diversity and Anti-Discrimination, affirmed the relevance of the project: "With the further expansion of services and new projects, we are taking the next step so that the former model project of the Senate Department for Social Services becomes the guiding principle for homeless assistance in the state of Berlin. In the coming years, we will make the existing Housing First projects more permanent and expand them to include vulnerable groups of people." Furthermore, she appealed to other landlords to participate. Housing First is currently funded through grants. In the double budget for 2023, 3.3 million euros have been earmarked for this purpose. In the long term, the project is to be transferred to the regular system.
The "Housing First" project is about offering homeless people a rental apartment with a rental contract in the first instance without any preconditions. In contrast to previous models, further problems are only addressed after those affected have obtained an apartment - the former "housing eligibility" check via hostels, shared apartments or training apartments is thus eliminated.