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Germany’s Homelessness Hits Record as Doubts Grow Over 2030 Pledge

A new estimate finds over one million people without permanent housing in 2024, highlighting concerns over financing of the federal action plan.

Overview

  • BAGW estimates 1.029 million people were homeless in 2024, up 11% year over year, including about 56,000 sleeping rough and more than a quarter million children and adolescents.
  • Municipal and NGO facilities housed nearly 475,000 people at the end of January, an 8% increase from a year earlier, signaling rising pressure on local services.
  • The federal goal to end homelessness by 2030 remains in place with a 31‑measure National Action Plan, yet overall plan financing is not secured even as SPD lawmakers cite funding for individual steps and housing support.
  • The Housing Ministry points to roughly €23.5 billion for social housing through 2029 and planned Wohngeld expansion, while researchers and providers urge a long‑term shift to public, cooperative or nonprofit housing and warn of a nationwide shortage.
  • Frontline projects report capacity strains and reliance on donations, health needs are complex, and practitioners caution that proposed benefit reductions could push more people into losing their homes.