Germany: Young women and girls more at risk of homelessness

Almost a fifth of people with no home of their own in Germany are under the age of 25, according to a new report by the Federal Working Group on Homeless Assistance (BAG W), an umbrella organization for 227 institutions and more than 1,000 services for homeless people.

The report details the living conditions of people who are homeless and those at risk of becoming unhoused. It defines homelessness as being without a rental contract or owning property. People without a secure tenancy agreement do not usually live on the streets: Many find a place to stay with friends or acquaintances, often referred to as "couch hopping."

"We call this 'hidden homelessness,' so not just what is commonly thought of when you hear the word 'homeless' and you think of the people you see living on the street," said Martin Kositza, one of the authors of the BAG W report. However, 16% of under-18s who registered with homeless services in 2022 had spent the previous night on the street.

Young women, girls particularly at risk

One worrying trend highlighted in the report is the comparatively large proportion of unhoused women and girls under the age of 25 in comparison to older age groups. The proportion of unhoused women in all age categories above the age of 25 is consistently below 23%. However, among the under-18s, 38% are female, rising to 40% among those between 18 and 20.

"We think that young women and girls tend to become independent and leave the parental home earlier, but that they also seek help more quickly," Kositza told DW. "But we also think that violence and abuse play a major role in this, which of course occurs much more frequently to women than to men."

Young people are much more likely to find a place to stay with friends or acquaintances (43% of under-18s and 47% of those 18 to 24), which experts say is often unsafe, especially for girls and young women. Many end up in coercive relationships in exchange for a roof over their heads, explained Markus Kütter, a social worker and board member at Strassenkinder e.V., a charity for homeless children in Berlin. 

"They are offered a place to stay and at some point end up having to pay, but because they've got no money they pay in other ways. And there are drug dealers and pimps ready to exploit the situation, even in state-run homes and shelters," said Kütter. "It can just happen so quickly that underage girls end up on the streets and find themselves in particular milieus that are hugely damaging for them."

Young people bounced between agencies

Under German law, parents and youth welfare services have a responsibility to ensure children and young people have a safe and secure place to live. But despite the wide range of support services available, a 2022 report by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs estimated that of the approximately 264,000 unhoused people in Germany, around 38,000 were between the ages of 14 and 27.

The reasons why are varied, according to Kositza. "It is, of course, a phase of life where young people are generally cutting the cord with their parents but are not yet firmly established in their careers and don't yet have many financial resources," he said.

One factor is the way welfare services are organized and run in Germany. Youth welfare support is a legal entitlement for young people even after they turn 18, but it is often simply withdrawn.

"Young people are too often released from youth welfare services without having an apartment and these are, of course, things that often lead to young people staying with friends and acquaintances and, in the worst case, even ending up on the street," said Kositza.

Access to alternative welfare support systems such as unemployment assistance through Germany's Jobcenter is technically possible, but complicated for young people, and responsibility is often bounced back and forth between agencies.

"In municipalities it's often unclear which agency is responsible. Young people are sent from pillar to post, and sometimes it's unclear whether help is available at all, which is why we want prevention to be strengthened in this area," said Kositza.

State welfare, support services overwhelmed

Financial support from the Jobcenter, called "Bürgergeld" ("citizen's benefit"), can be problematic for young people because, unlike youth welfare services, there is no educational mandate; rather, the focus is on getting people into work. Claimants are also at risk of having their welfare payments stopped if they do not comply with the demands set out by individual case workers.

"The state support services, all of them, from schools to the Youth Welfare Office, are simply overwhelmed by the complexity and sheer number of problems; they just can't cope. It's not that they don't care, it's just that the needs and demands are too big for the state to handle," said Kütter.

In April, the German government released a national action plan to end homelessness in the country by 2030, but critics have said the proposals are too vague. According to Kütter, the government needs to rethink how its schools and social services are run, encourage more collaboration between schools and independent support services and tackle the severe shortage of affordable housing. 

"It's hard enough for people with decent jobs to find an apartment, so how are young people supposed to find one anywhere? The young people we work with are at the back of the queue," he said.

At Strassenkinder centers, homeless children and young people can get free meals, sleeping bags, clothes, access to group recreational activities and a place where they can feel safe and be heard.

"Kids and young people on the streets are focused purely on their own survival. Here, they have space to think about their own lives and dream of bigger and better things, and we help them on their way to achieving them. Without our help they just wouldn't make it," said Kütter.

Edited by: Kyra Levine

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