Stuttgart/Lörrach (dpa/lsw) – The Refugee Council of Baden-Württemberg attributes the current problems in accommodating refugees to the closure of previous refugee accommodation. Due to the falling number of refugees, the company has started to close locations. That is now falling on the municipalities’ feet, said a spokeswoman on Wednesday. She expressed herself against the background of a decision by the city of Lörrach and its municipal housing association, which has caused discussions in the social networks: around 40 tenants are to be given notice in order to be able to provide living space for up to 100 refugees. In return, the tenants should be offered more modern and affordable living space.
Of course, many municipalities are on the edge of what they can achieve. “But you can also observe that the situation is tense where the accommodation places were dismantled after the influx of refugees in 2015/16,” she said. The refugee council is in favor of more flexible structures: For example, refugees should be allowed to stay with acquaintances, friends or relatives, provided that this is possible for those affected. “That can also equalize the situation on the housing market,” she said. The current recording system is far too rigid.
What is happening in Lörrach was not communicated very skilfully by the city and the housing association. The current tenants would soon have had to leave anyway because of the poor condition of their apartments. In addition, one could ask oneself the other way around, why living space, which due to its condition was sooner or later intended for demolition, should be expected of refugees.
