Overview
- BAG Wohnungslosenhilfe has recorded at least four cold‑related deaths this winter as forecasters warn of lows to –12 C, locally –17 C, on Saturday night.
- Berlin added more than 100 emergency places, lifting weekend capacity to 1,256, and directed police, hospitals and libraries to allow warm refuge, with new sites due to open on January 12 and 15.
- Frankfurt is running a second Kältebus this weekend and reports about 600 sleeping places, while teams supply people who decline shelters with hot drinks and gear.
- Charities estimate more than 50,000 people sleep rough nationwide and roughly 6,000 in Berlin, urging the public to check on people and use help hotlines or emergency services.
- Welfare groups warn services are strained and press for barrier‑free, tailored, round‑the‑clock spaces, while The Left proposes using vacant offices and opening U‑Bahn stations, a step the BVG rejects on safety grounds.