German heatwave puts homeless at risk as NRW outreach teams say doubled budget still falls short

Outreach on the streets of Duisburg

On a summer morning, several men queue in front of a white van, the Kältebus, near the Schäferturm in central Duisburg. Susanne Wittenborn and Volker Hirschfeld from the association Gemeinsam gegen Kälte Duisburg hand out freshly filled rolls and drinks. "With every coffee we hand out a bottle of water," Wittenborn says, noting that many homeless people arrive dehydrated. The bus has been on the road for more than 25 years and reaches up to 70 people each day. From Monday to Thursday it departs at 9:00 a.m. and stops at three locations across the city. The drawers of the van are stocked with sunscreen, hats, light summer clothing and thin sleeping bags.

Wittenborn says the name Kältebus is metaphorical, referring not to weather but to the social coldness within society. The work goes beyond distributing supplies. Wittenborn and Hirschfeld aim to be reliable contacts for the people they serve.

We try to talk to those affected, to advise them and support them.

DWD warns of extreme heat stress

The German Weather Service (DWD) reports that this summer's heatwaves pose an extreme thermal burden on people. According to a DWD statement, the heatwaves are becoming hotter and lasting longer, with the strain greater in cities than in rural areas. For homeless people, the extreme temperatures carry particular risk.

Iris Niewind of the Wetterschutzteam in Münster confirms the pattern from her own work. Illnesses are harder to manage under such high temperatures, she says, and wounds become inflamed more easily. Her team drives to spots in central Münster where homeless people congregate, distributing water, cooling towels and sunscreen.

More demand, fewer resources per person

In Düsseldorf, a team from the Gute-Nacht-Bus is deployed during heat periods to support people in need in the city centre. Nikolai Karrasch, who leads the team, reports that the number of people seeking help keeps growing. The consequence, he says, is less time and fewer resources for each individual.

A further problem, according to Wittenborn, is the lack of places to retreat. Cool indoor spaces such as shopping centres and museums exist in the city, but they are effectively off-limits to homeless clients. She calls for municipalities to install sun sails and additional public drinking fountains, and to place more benches in shaded areas. Municipalities are responsible for such measures, she says, but they lack the money to carry them out.

There is a great deal of money missing in the field of social work.

State funding doubled but still insufficient

The NRW Social Ministry has doubled its budget for heat protection of homeless and housing-insecure people, according to a ministry spokesperson. This year the funding sum was raised to 500,000 euros. Despite the increase, Wittenborn insists the money is not enough, and that despite state subsidies and donations, urgent change is needed in how society protects its most vulnerable during extreme heat.