Martin Lenz advocates for retaining the apartment as the superior choice.
In the heart of Germany, the city of Karlsruhe has been making strides in addressing homelessness. Martin Lenz, the city's current Social Director, has been instrumental in this effort since joining the Social and Youth Welfare Office in 1992.
Lenz's approach is rooted in prevention, aiming to prevent evictions and homelessness before they occur. One of his key strategies has been acquiring apartments on the private market to prevent more individuals from needing emergency accommodation. This approach has proven to be cost-effective, as publicly housed homeless people are estimated to cost about three times as much as those with their own apartments.
Lenz's concept has been so successful that it has been adopted by North Rhine-Westphalia, securing 3000 apartments per year as part of a state program. In Karlsruhe alone, this method has secured 1400 apartments, benefiting around 3500 people.
The city has also partnered with private landlords, offering subsidies and rent guarantees for 10 years to secure affordable rental units. This partnership has been successful, with landlords cooperating to provide housing for the city's most vulnerable residents.
Another innovative approach taken by Karlsruhe has been the repurposing of private market properties for social or affordable housing use. A larger building with 130 apartments was bought and expanded, adding floors in the city center. Another building, with 100 apartments and an 80% barrier-free design, was converted with a social investor.
Lenz's philosophy is simple: providing housing is the key to ending homelessness. His work has shown that temporary accommodation can worsen the situation for those affected, and that retaining the apartment is the best social and economic option for municipalities.
As Lenz prepares to retire in September 2022, his legacy in Karlsruhe's fight against homelessness will continue to be felt. The city still faces challenges, with a housing shortage requiring 1000 apartments per year until 2035 to be addressed. However, with Lenz's innovative strategies and a commitment to prevention, Karlsruhe is well on its way to achieving its goal of no homelessness by 2030.
Municipalities across Germany are adopting the policy-and-legislation strategies from Karlsruhe, learning from Martin Lenz's success in addressing homelessness. Despite his upcoming retirement in September 2022, Lenz's innovative approach to housing provision continues to influence politics and general news, with many communities striving towards his goal of no homelessness by 2030.
