Hamburg is approaching in the year 2030 - where does it stand?
The European Union, the federal government, and the city of Hamburg have embarked on a joint mission to eradicate homelessness and address housing shortages by the year 2030.
At the European Union level, key initiatives are guided by the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan. This plan includes ambitious 2030 headline targets on employment, skills, and poverty reduction, aiming to reduce poverty and social exclusion by at least 15 million people (including 5 million children). The EU supports investments and reforms in employment, education, and social inclusion through the European Social Fund and complementary policies.
Concrete measures include a platform of collaboration against homelessness to coordinate efforts EU-wide, strategies for the rights of persons with disabilities to ensure full participation in society, recommendations promoting active employment support post-COVID-19, proposals on pay transparency and child guarantees to foster social fairness, and European guidelines addressing homelessness with a focus on health and trauma, engaging civil society and public authorities.
At the federal government level, policies align with EU social inclusion goals by integrating labor market access, fair working conditions, and social protection. Although no specific federal initiative details were found, these efforts likely include funding national housing programs, supporting social welfare frameworks, and collaborating with EU-funded projects.
For Hamburg, specific city-level strategies include participation in European initiatives like Home4Health, which targets homelessness by addressing complex needs such as health challenges and trauma through training, outreach, and guideline development. Hamburg's approach emphasizes inclusive socioeconomic integration and adapting services to emerging professional and social demands post-pandemic.
In Hamburg, as of current data, 32,410 people are living in shelters due to housing shortage. Together with the estimated 3,787 people living on the streets and the 1,685 people classified as 'hidden homeless' (living with acquaintances), these groups account for almost 38,000 people who are currently homeless or precariously housed in Hamburg.
The Hinz&Kunzt vendors play a crucial role in distributing a magazine in Hamburg, providing an opportunity for individuals to buy the magazine physically. These vendors are a visible presence on the streets of Hamburg, and an option for individuals outside of Hamburg to subscribe to a print edition of the magazine is also available.
It's worth noting that no other federal state in Germany has a higher proportion of homeless people per capita than Hamburg. However, the Federal Statistical Office's data, from July of this year, does not include the 'hidden homeless' in its count.
These coordinated actions aim to provide housing access, reduce poverty and social exclusion, and foster labor market integration crucial to ending homelessness by 2030. The European Union, the federal government, and Hamburg have committed to these goals, with Hamburg also committing to the EU's goal of ending homelessness by 2030.
- To support their commitment in eradicating homelessness, Hamburg has collaborated with EU initiatives like Home4Health, which focuses on investing in programs that address complex needs such as health challenges and trauma, in line with real-estate development and housing market strategies.
- In an effort to achieve the EU's goal of reducing poverty and social exclusion by at least 15 million people by 2030, the European Union has included investing in employment, education, and social inclusion, as well as finance initiatives, as part of their lifestyle agenda.
- As part of the European Union's Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, they have proposed European guidelines addressing homelessness with a focus on health and trauma, engaging civil society and public authorities, which could potentially impact housing-market discussions and real-estate investment decisions.
