Homelessness around the world: Germany
Germany, the 3rd largest economy in the world, has a huge homeless problem that is largely untold here in the US. With a population of just over 80 million, their homeless population of an estimated 678,000 people roughly equates to the US homeless population of 653,104, despite a country wide population of slightly over 340 million. With Germany having a homelessness rate of about 4 larger than the US, it comes into question, how is this so, and why do us Americans not hear about this?
Munich Germany
Why is this?
Germany’s homeless population saw an 150% increase from 2014-2017, but why is this happening? According to multiple economic sources in Germany, their homeless populations increase this past few years was caused by a shortage of affordable housing, rising living costs, and individual circumstances like unemployment, mental health issues, and substance abuse. Job loss, increasing unemployment, and low wages also leave people helpless on the streets.
However, it is notable that a significant amount of homeless people in Germany do have jobs, and are still unable to afford a safe place to stay, yet again because of unlivable wages in Germany and high cost of living.
Germany has also dedicated billions of dollars to “end homelessness by 2030,” with their extensive, and controversial, plan outlining how they will use a Housing First Model, in which individuals experiencing homelessness are placed in housing before getting treated for other problems such as drug usage, by building 100,000 rent-controlled properties annually.
Why don’t we talk more about this?
In the United States, especially in California, homelessness is hard to ignore, and can be found in every major urban center. However, we tend to only focus on the US’s homelessness for one simple reason; its the only one we have control over. Americans have no legislative control over Germany, so unless you are travelling to Germany, its homeless population has no importance to you.
This doesn’t mean homelessness is only a problem in the US or Germany either. Homelessness is a global issue that, in order to end, will require a global collaboration of millions of people who simply believe in bettering society.