The Kältebus project started in 1994.
© dpa
The Berlin City Mission's three Kältebusse (cold weather buses) start the season. From today, the vehicles will once again be on the road in the city to provide homeless people with sleeping bags, hot tea or soup.
People who wish to do so will be taken to emergency shelters, according to the Protestant church organization.
The first cold weather bus ran 30 years ago. Last winter, the cold weather buses brought 1,580 people without shelter to a warm and safe place to stay, the report continued. That was 237 more people than in the previous year. In total, the teams reached almost 3,600 people. The city mission is expecting a further increase this winter.
Meanwhile, this Friday (November 1), more providers will start the cold aid season. According to the social administration, the capacity of the cold weather aid, which started on October 1, will increase to 1,025 places in emergency overnight accommodation. Of these, 158 places are for women. Since the start of the season, 735 emergency overnight places have been available to offer homeless people shelter and support during the cold season.
According to the social administration, a further emergency overnight stay in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf with 140 places is expected to open in mid-November. The number of emergency overnight places will then rise to 1,165 and will be available by the end of March 2025. The number of places will then fall again in April 2025.