Berlin homeless shelters nearly full as cold season begins

Emergency overnight shelters for homeless people in Berlin were already close to full capacity in October, even though temperatures have so far stayed relatively mild, according to the coordinating office for the city's winter homelessness program.

About 700 emergency beds set up under Berlin's Kältehilfe, or cold-weather aid scheme, were running at 90 percent occupancy, a staff member at the coordinating office told the German Press Agency. The program typically expands through autumn and winter to give homeless residents a protected place to sleep as temperatures drop.

Organizers said a landlord had unexpectedly withdrawn a pledge to provide space for the largest of the planned shelters, a site at Goslarer Platz that was meant to offer 150 beds. Staff said they managed to secure several smaller substitute locations to make up some of the shortfall. From November, the coordinating office expects roughly 1,000 emergency beds to be available across the city.

At Evas Haltestelle, a day center for homeless women run by the Catholic women's social service in the Wedding district, the effects of falling temperatures are already visible, according to director Natalie Kulik. The center has offered 20 emergency overnight spaces since the start of the month.

"Already in October, women had to be turned away because all 20 sleeping places were occupied," Kulik said. She added that referring women to other shelters is often difficult because space elsewhere is also scarce.

Kulik said the number of women seeking shelter during the day has risen as well. The center is designed to accommodate 60 visitors a day, she said, but is now seeing between 70 and 75 women arriving daily looking for a safe place to rest, talk and get support. Demand for sleeping bags, blankets and warm clothing has also increased noticeably, according to Kulik.

The Johanniter aid organization's emergency shelter "Ohlauer 365" stays open throughout the year and expands from its usual 88 beds to as many as 100 emergency beds during the winter months, said Jörg Bellin, who heads the organization's homelessness assistance division. Bellin said people have to be turned away from the shelter year-round because there is not enough room for everyone seeking a bed.

The Johanniter's night warming cafe, known as "Nachthafen am Kotti," has also seen a sharp rise in visitors in recent weeks, the organization said. On particularly cold nights since the start of October, occupancy at the cafe has at times been up by as much as 100 percent compared with normal levels, according to the Johanniter.

Staff at the cafe are now in contact with as many as 300 people on a single night, the organization said. The facility mainly serves homeless people dealing with addiction, offering counseling, support, drinks and small meals. It is located on Reichenberger Strasse and opens nightly between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.

Berlin's cold-weather aid program runs each year to give homeless residents access to shelter, food and basic support services during the colder months, with capacity typically scaled up as temperatures fall further into winter.