About this episode
Radio Spaetkauf Presents: "Housing First and Fun With Social Workers" - RSxEAB #1 • This pilot episode examines homelessness, housing first, and sleeping rough. • Recorded Dec 6th 2023 in Berlin at Salon Am Moritzplatz, Released Dec 19th 2023 A Special Edition of Radio Spätkauf created through a partnership with Europäische Akademie Berlin. This episode is a pilot for the "RSx" series in which we seek presciptions for the problems of our city and the world which revolves around it. An attempt, in our way, to look forward to the future with hope. With hosts Matilda Kaiser and Daniel Stern, plus guests Debora Ruppert, Karen Holzinger of Berliner Stadtmission, and Kathrin Schultz of Queerhome*. Dan and Matilde catch up and remind us of the Kältebus number: 030 690 333 690 and review some previous Radio Spaetkauf stories that overlap with today's topic of homelessness; Zweckentfremdungsverbot, co-working spaces, commercial real estate regulations and the battles of the cities last remaining squats, with an update on Liebig14. How does the housing crisis affect the search for a home? The topic of Homelessness is introduced by Dan who struggles to find the right vocabulary and correct language with which to describe the issue. The first guest, Debora Ruppert is an artist who captures the lives of marginalized people, including the homeless, through photography. her most recent exhibition "Home Street Home" was on display in the Bundestag. She emphasizes the importance of speaking with people who are experiencing homelessness rather than merely speaking about them. That dialogue and relationships help individuals out of their situation. To learn more about "Housing First" we are joined by Karin Holzinger, who in 1991 began her work with Berliner Stadtmission and later became their head of homelessness services. Karin also co-invented the Kältebus, and is a co-founder of Kumpfide, an organization twhich offers support to non-abstinent alcoholics. She clears up some common misconceptions about homelessness, "When you walk through the streets, you see people, and you think, oh, he or she might be homeless, because maybe the person is not dressed very well, he or she looks drunk or [seems to have] psychological problems, so you think, ah, this is homelessness. Some of these people are not homeless and on the other hand, about I would say about 90% of the people who a