In the Erzgebirgskreis, around 1,000 Ukrainian refugees are urgently looking for accommodation. A letter from the district office asks them to vacate their current apartments by mid-June.
Those affected, who were housed in asylum apartments after their escape, now have to use the free housing market. According to the “MDR”, the Erzgebirgskreis justified the terminations with the expiry of the rental agreements.
District Administrator Rico Anton (CDU) emphasized that the apartments were originally intended for asylum seekers and that Ukrainian citizens’ benefit recipients were now encouraged to look for housing on their own. “Receiving citizen’s money not only involves rights, but also obligations,” says the district administrator.
The termination notices have been sent out gradually since the end of 2023 in order to increase the pressure on those affected. “If someone proves that they are not moving within four weeks, but have found an apartment that they can only move into in two months, then we will deal with it in an accommodating manner,” says District Administrator Anton to the “MDR”.
Despite the tense situation, many of the 1,700 Ukrainians originally housed in guaranteed apartments have already found housing on their own. According to District Administrator Anton, 40 percent have looked for their own apartment, and the pressure is now increasing for the remaining 1,000.
District Administrator Anton also does not rule out evictions if those affected do not leave their apartment in time. They could also be accommodated in an emergency shelter. “We are trying everything to avoid homelessness. In extreme emergencies, we have an emergency shelter where temporary accommodation is possible,” emphasizes Anton.
The search for accommodation presents refugees with challenges such as bureaucratic hurdles and language barriers. Volunteers and employees of the housing company provide support, especially with moving and purchasing furniture.