Wangen under pressure: City is urgently planning new refugee accommodation!

Wangen under pressure: City is urgently planning new refugee accommodation!

The city of Wangen faces a herculean task as the number of refugees continues to increase in recent months. Wangen currently operates seven community accommodations that can accommodate 369 people, including refugees. There are currently 76 places available, 41 of which are in special family accommodation. The need to create additional accommodation options is urgent. By the end of 2025, 66 additional refugees will have to be accommodated in the city, which poses major challenges for the administration. The majority of these, around 90%, consist of male individuals, which makes occupancy and integration into existing structures difficult. Swabian newspaper reports that the city is planning to renovate the former customs building at Lindauer Straße 39 in order to create 34 individual spaces there. This facility was in operation until 2016 and has now been vacant since 2021. The expected total costs for the renovation are around 1.15 million euros, with the federal government providing a subsidy of 700,000 euros.

A building permit for the renovation has already been obtained and the construction work is scheduled to be completed by the beginning of 2026. The plans for the construction of a new refugee accommodation on Zeppelinstrasse were temporarily suspended in order not to affect the renovation of the customs building. It also remains unclear what will happen next with a modular building on the Südring, which was originally supposed to offer space for 100 people. Currently, 167 of the maximum 240 places available in the Ravensburg district are occupied. From 2027 onwards, a reduction in capacity is expected due to new occupancy guidelines.

Emergency shelters and the role of the town hall

The city of Wangen must act urgently to cope with the increasing number of refugees and homeless people. Mayor Michael Lang is checking whether the town hall can be used as emergency accommodation again. In the first week of October, 30 people from Ukraine were accommodated in a new container facility at the recycling center, which offers space for 80 people. Here too, the situation is tense because there is a difference of 85 available places. The city administration has determined that inadequate occupancy is made more difficult by different housing configurations, such as families with different numbers of members.

In addition to the obligation to accept 216 refugees, there are regularly new people becoming homeless. Rising energy prices and scarce housing options have exacerbated homelessness in the region. The city administration is hoping for a grant of around 300,000 euros for the construction of future accommodation for 40 to 60 people in order to avoid hall occupancy and lightweight halls. The plans provide for urgent support from politicians so that communities like Wangen are not left alone. Maintaining a stable housing situation is a key social challenge in these times.

Mental health and vulnerable people

In view of the urgently growing number of refugees, the city is also recognizing an increase in mental illnesses, which make single occupancy of accommodation necessary. In order to meet the special needs of mentally ill people and other vulnerable groups, existing accommodation concepts must be adapted. The federal initiative “Protection of refugees in refugee accommodation” was launched to take this circumstance into account. This initiative has been developing the minimum standards for protecting vulnerable people in accommodation since 2016, with the last updates provided in April 2021. Various partner organizations, including charities and psychosocial centers, work together to create a safe and supportive environment for refugees. BMFSFJ reports that the participation of vulnerable groups should be strengthened.

Overall, the current situation in Wangen calls for quick action and close cooperation between numerous actors. The mayor is pushing for increased cooperation with the district and private housing providers in order to meet the needs of immigrants. Only through shared commitment can the challenges of the coming months and years be successfully overcome.