Monday, 4 November
Dispute over refugee accommodation, thousands of beds at risk
Berlin’s coalition partners are locked in a heated dispute over temporary housing for refugees, putting 2,900 hotel and hostel beds on the line as deadlines for leases approach.
According to insiders, an agreement between the SPD and CDU is overdue, and if unresolved, thousands currently sheltered may be left in the cold with winter looming ahead. It will also put more pressure onto Tegel Airport, which has already been criticised for its high costs and precarious conditions for refugees.
The dispute surfaced due to a seemingly routine email exchange. On Friday, the Social Services Department sent a message to main committee members, informing them of an upcoming funding request for refugee housing. However, just two hours later, the representatives received a second email with the subject line “Withdrawn!” In this follow-up, the committee secretary stated that the Senate Chancellery had retracted the previous message, explaining that “the content has not yet been coordinated with all Senate parties.”
Since then, rumours have swirled that it’s actually a clash of priorities: the CDU’s Finance Senator faces major budget cuts, while SPD’s Social Senator Kiziltepe wants to relieve Tegel’s controversial emergency shelter and instead expand hotel accommodation from 2,900 to 4,900 beds by next year.
The situation highlights the growing divide within Berlin’s government, leaving the city’s most vulnerable populations stuck in the middle, and with housing prices only going up, the race to secure spaces is as pressing as ever.
