Housing and Social Integration in Lüneburg: April 2026 in Focus

Housing and Care: A New Concept for Homeless People

In April 2026, the project "Schießgrabenstraße" came into focus, a pilot project for the housing and support of homeless adults in Lüneburg. The concept is based on a modified version of the Housing First model, which uses stable housing as the starting point for social integration. Through collaboration with the association Housing Lüneburg e.V., up to 14 people will be housed in furnished living spaces on the first and second floors of the Schießgrabenstraße building and supported by social pedagogical professionals.

Care is an integral part of the project and is tailored to individual care plans. The goal is to strengthen social skills, promote independence, and enable a long-term transition into stable housing situations. Special attention is given to the development of social competence and the teaching of knowledge for independent living (e.g., through a "housing driver's license").

Despite advantages such as short distances to other social services (e.g., the Contact Café), challenges remain, including shared spaces (bathrooms, kitchen) and limited privacy in the shared living arrangement. The rent calculation includes reserves for vacancies, furnishings, and maintenance, aiming for long-term stability.

Integration as a Mutual Process: MIGRAR and the Integration Council

Another focus of the April meeting was the reorganization of the Integration Council and the reform of the MIGRAR (Migration Council). MIGRAR is a democratically legitimized interest group representing people with a migration background and is tasked with promoting political, social, and cultural participation.

The new rules of procedure include, among other things, a gender-sensitive and diverse composition. Members are elected in parallel with the local elections, and MIGRAR may include up to 20 representatives (10 from the Hanseatic city, 10 from the district). A board is elected in secret for a term of one year and is responsible for preparing meetings and the external representation of the body.

The reform emphasizes transparency and participation: meetings are public, minutes are made available via the Allris system, and members commit to non-discriminatory behavior. MIGRAR works closely with the administration, politics, and the press and can submit motions to committees and bodies.

Care Services: High Standards, Low Utilization

Another central topic was the utilization of care services in home care. According to reports from the administration, many people in need of care in Lüneburg do not use the services they are entitled to – in particular, home care. Main reasons include lack of information, insufficient counseling, shame, and administrative hurdles.

The administration plans to intensify awareness of care services: online information will be expanded, multilingual brochures will be distributed, and the Senior and Care Support Center (SPN) will be used more intensively. At the same time, the importance of home care is emphasized, which is often perceived as less bureaucratic and closer to daily life than institutional care.

Another motion discussed in the meeting concerned "More Security and Better Care at GU Rettmer." The SPD faction called, among other things, for psychiatric support to be provided directly in the accommodation, clear rules for crisis situations to be established, and families with children to be spatially separated from single adults. In addition, the need for better training of staff to appropriately deal with mental crises and addiction problems was highlighted.

Conclusion: A City in Transition – Social Integration as a Central Mission

April 2026 shows how diverse and complex the challenges in Lüneburg's social and housing policy are. With projects like "Schießgrabenstraße," a new approach to the integration of homeless people is being pursued. At the same time, it becomes clear that the use of care services is still too low – and that awareness and counseling play decisive roles here.

In the future, it will depend on how well the city of Lüneburg is able to steer these social transformations. This includes not only new housing concepts, but also the strengthening of participation mechanisms such as MIGRAR. The administration and politics must respond sensitively to people's needs – and above all: they must make it clear that social affairs are not just a cost factor, but an investment in coexistence.