Erfurt is investing in quality management in communal accommodations – How the city is improving living conditions for refugees

Quality Management in Communal Accommodations: A Step Toward Integration

The living conditions for refugees in Erfurt's communal accommodations (GUs) have long been a sensitive issue, both politically and socially. In April 2026, the Committee for Social Affairs, Labour Market and Equality engaged in an in-depth discussion on how to improve the quality of accommodation and establish a uniform quality management system. The goal is to sustainably enhance the quality of life for residents and simultaneously promote social participation.

Erfurt plans to install WLAN in all communal accommodations by 2026, provided technically feasible. Internet access is considered essential for the empowerment of refugees, particularly for accessing public services, education, and the job market. In addition, a budget will be established to allow for purchases beyond minimum standards, especially for leisure activities. Micro-grants of up to 500 euros will support low-threshold activities such as sports programs or language courses. In this effort, the city is cooperating with the volunteer agency erna to optimally integrate local resources.

Updating the Integration Concept: New Challenges, New Solutions

In parallel, the evaluation and revision of the action plan for Erfurt's integration concept were central to the discussions. The current version of the concept is due to the changing framework conditions, increasing workload, and demographic developments. The goal is to adopt a new integration concept by the end of 2028 at the latest, which reflects the current situation of the city and its population.

A central challenge is designing the action plan so that it addresses both long-term and short-term needs. Ongoing measures remain in the plan and will be regularly reviewed, while time-limited measures will be redefined or removed from the catalog. The involvement process is a decisive factor: municipal departments, political factions, the foreign advisory board, and integration actors from civil society should be included early on to ensure broad understanding and sustainable implementation.

Tensions and Challenges: Where Are the Obstacles?

Despite the extensive plans and visions, there are also clear obstacles. For example, the systematic recording of the vulnerability of refugees – especially children, women, people with disabilities or psychological burdens – is rejected as unfeasible. In addition, there are no cost estimates or personnel and financial prerequisites for the installation of WLAN in all GUs, which complicates the implementation of the measures in practice.

Coordination between different administrative levels and institutions also remains a challenge. Although there are already protection concepts and social care in the GUs, the lack of uniform standards and the insufficient exchange between actors hinder progress. The documents VO_963421 and VO_993791 show how much the political debate swings between concrete improvement suggestions and the rejection of measures as unrealistic.

Outlook: What Does the Future Hold?

The discussions in April 2026 show that Erfurt is ready to respond to the challenges in social and integration policy with new concepts and structures. The introduction of quality management in communal accommodations and the revision of the integration concept are important milestones on the way to a more inclusive urban society.

In the future, it will be crucial not only to document the planned measures on paper but to actually implement them and continuously evaluate them. The inclusion of refugees themselves in this process – for example through anonymous surveys – is a particularly valuable approach. Only in this way can Erfurt ensure that the living conditions in the GUs are actually improved and that integration into the urban community is sustainably advanced.