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2000-6500 people are homeless in the capital of Germany, Berlin. Not having a roof over their heads, they are the most vulnerable category during these days of extreme temperatures.
During Wednesday (20.07), the temperature in Berlin reached the record of 39 degrees Celsius. As many Berliners turned on fans and stayed in the shade, those without shelter had little chance of finding cool environments to avoid the health risks of extreme heat. For example, Liljana and her friend, Elias.
“I look like a tourist” – says Liljana, as she adjusts her straw hat.
The two friends, of Bulgarian origin, were sitting in the shade, waiting for 10 o’clock in the morning, where a new project has taken shape, in the Schöneberg area of Berlin. The “Hitzehilfe” (Help to cope with the extreme heat) center is open until 8 o’clock in the evening and offers people who are looking for a cool place, the possibility of a shower and a “nap”, in one of 30 beds available.
For Liljana, a cold shower is the best service this day shelter offers. “When you live on the streets, you can somehow get by with food and drink. But without a shower and a place to sleep, life seems very difficult to cope with,” she says.
During the pandemic, the 31-year-old lost her job and her apartment. “I have been homeless for more than a year,” explains Liljana. “At first I worked on the street, as a prostitute, but then I gave up.”
Elias says that he cannot work because he has lost all his identification documents. “Anyway, I’ve made some steps ahead with the documentation I need” – he explains, before heading to the room where he can sleep for a while.
At the “Hitzehilfe” shelter, plates of freshly cut watermelons are ready to be consumed, while in one corner of the wall you find whole crates of water bottles. On the other side of the room, on a long table, are lined up bottles that can be refilled during the day, sunscreen, hats, sleeping bags, hygiene products, masks to protect against Covid-19 and clothes washed. There are also laundry detergents.
The Senate of Berlin is the financier of this pilot project, which amounts to 106 thousand Euros. The initiative of the “IB Berlin Brandenburg” association aims to keep the homeless away from the extreme heat, at least for a few hours during the day.
The same building, made available by the Schöneberg area, is usually used during the winter months to help the homeless from the extreme cold. The initiative “Kältehilfe” (Help to cope with the extreme cold), offers a warm shelter, especially at night. But in extreme heat, daylight hours are most needed.
Katja Kipping, politician of the Left and senator for Integration, Labor and Social Affairs, said on Wednesday (20.07) that the whole society should be made aware of the dangers that come from extreme temperatures.
“Many residents of Berlin have the ‘Kältehilfe’ contact on their phones, in case they see people in need during the winter. But they are not aware of the seriousness of the other extreme of the weather” – she emphasized.
“So far, the project has been very well received” – the social worker Artur Keil told DW. According to him, most of the people who came to the center are those who need it even during the winter.
The challenge of extreme temperatures
“What we were able to notice in the first days is that most of them are simply looking for a place to sleep comfortably, which is almost impossible outside, in those temperatures,” says Janette Werner, regional manager of the “IB” association.
In conversation with DW, she emphasizes that the excessive use of alcohol and drugs by these people increases the risk of heatstroke. “After getting drunk or on drugs, for example, people are unable to realize how hot it is outside. They get sunburned, get dehydrated and in the worst case, die.”
In addition to the necessary assistance, social workers also offer counseling and support. “When these people come here regularly, they start to have faith and they start to confess,” says Werner.
Elsewhere in Berlin, 23 employees of the “Karuna” initiative are on the ground distributing water, sunscreen, sunglasses and hygiene products to the homeless. The team has been helping since 2020 and also offers “cooling buses” for this category, where people can stay temporarily and recover from excessive heat.
“If you see a homeless person, especially during these hot days, the best thing you can do is ask him if he’s feeling well,” explains Werner. “If you don’t feel well, call emergency services. And keep in mind that anyone would be happy to be offered a bottle of water in these times.”
The summer pilot project “Hitzehilfe” will continue until the end of September, when the association will assess what services are most needed./DW
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