Town Hall as a Shelter? The Current Debate on Homelessness Support in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf

Town Hall as an Emergency Shelter – A Social Challenge in the Capital

Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf has emerged in recent years as one of the hotspots for homelessness in Berlin. With estimates that about 6,000 people in the city live without a fixed residence on the streets, the urgency of social measures is evident. In March 2026, a controversial proposal came to the forefront: opening the town hall on frosty nights as an emergency shelter for up to 30 homeless people. This motion, submitted by the DIE LINKE faction, reflects a growing pressure on the municipal administration to find innovative solutions to the homelessness crisis.

The Debate on the Town Hall Shelter Motion

The proposal to open the town hall in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf on frosty nights as an emergency shelter was discussed in the Social Committee. The idea of using the town hall foyer from 8 PM to 8 AM as a place for emergency sleeping followed a model from Paris, where Mayor Anne Hidalgo launched a similar initiative in 2018. In Berlin, the measure was intended to reach people who could not be accommodated by existing programs under the General Security and Order Act (ASOG).

Despite the social background and the symbolic significance of making a public institution accessible to all, the proposal met resistance. The motion was ultimately rejected with 8 votes against, one vote in favor, and no abstentions. The reasoning from the opposing factions was not uniform, but a common argument was that the administration was already pursuing other solutions and that setting up such an emergency shelter in a town hall was not the right approach.

The Role of the District Office and Existing Structures

The current practice of the district office is to open the town hall foyer on frosty nights as an emergency sleeping place. This, however, does not happen through a political motion, but via administrative decisions. The debate around the DIE LINKE motion shows that many in the population feel the existing structures are insufficient. The number of people living on the streets is growing, and the capacities of emergency shelters and ASOG accommodations are repeatedly criticized as being too limited.

The rejection of the motion also raises the question of whether political initiatives in social work are given sufficient weight. While the district office argues that there are already measures in place to support the homeless, many citizens and political actors are calling for a stronger societal focus on the issue. The debate is not only a topic for the district council, but also for the general public, who increasingly encounter people on the streets who live without shelter.

The Way Forward: Political and Social Fields of Action

The rejection of the motion is not a final decision, but an indicator of the complexity with which social issues must be addressed in Berlin. In the coming weeks, it is expected that the debate on the role of the town hall as a social institution will continue. The DIE LINKE faction has already announced that it will reintroduce the motion in other forms, and other factions are also discussing possible alternatives.

In the long term, it is clear: the homelessness crisis in Berlin and especially in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf requires a systemic approach. This means not only more beds in emergency shelters, but also investments in social housing, psychosocial support, and the fight against poverty. The debate around the town hall is a symbol of the societal engagement with these issues – and it will continue in the coming weeks and months.