Homelessness; taking advantage of assistance to avoid it
Brief description
If you are threatened with losing your home and are unable to find new accommodation on your own or have become homeless due to a sudden event, the local authority can provide you with various forms of assistance.
Description
If you are threatened with homelessness due to any circumstances whatsoever (e.g. due to an eviction action) because you cannot reasonably obtain adequate accommodation yourself, in particular by using your own material or financial resources or by taking advantage of other offers of assistance, you should contact your local authority as soon as possible. They can then look into measures to prevent you from becoming homeless. Your local authority can also provide you with additional information about the many possible solutions available. The same applies if you have already become homeless due to a sudden event (e.g. a house fire).
In the event that there is no other option and you have to be temporarily assigned to emergency accommodation by the municipality, which may also be a container, for example, we would like to draw your attention to the following:
Accommodation provided by the municipality is always only a temporary measure. The emergency accommodation must therefore only meet the minimum requirements for decent accommodation. According to established case law, extensive restrictions on housing requirements must be accepted in the case of accommodation within the framework of homeless care. You cannot demand "homelike care".
Prerequisites
Impending homelessness or already homeless with no prospect of new accommodation.
Deadlines
Contact the responsible municipality as soon as possible.
Required documents
Identity card or passport
Proof of legal residence in Germany (residence permit)
For foreign applicants for assistance
Income documents
(wage or salary statements, unemployment benefit/citizen's benefit notices or proof of application for unemployment benefit/citizen's benefit, last pension notification(s), proof of receipt of social assistance or application for social assistance, proof of sickness benefit or application for sickness benefit, notification of child-raising benefit or proof of application for child-raising benefit, proof of child benefit or proof of application for child benefit, etc.) Proof of debt Credit agreements Garnishments Proof of application for child-raising allowance, proof of child benefit or proof of application for child benefit, etc.)
Proof of debts
Credit agreements
Garnishments
Proof of maintenance payments
Maintenance agreements
Suitable documents showing acute homelessness
e.g. eviction action, eviction notice, eviction certificate, etc.). E.g. eviction action, eviction judgment (court order); bailiff's notice of eviction date; other proof of loss of accommodation
Application for social assistance (if applicable)Legal basis