New residential quarter for refugees in Frankenberg will soon be occupied
In order to accommodate people seeking protection, the district of Waldeck-Frankenberg has temporarily set up a shared accommodation for refugees in the building of a former DIY and garden centre, similar to the residential quarter in Korbach. The first refugees are to be accommodated in the residential quarter "Am Grün" in mid-October.
Sharp increase in refugee allocations
"We are making every effort to take in people fleeing crisis areas. It goes without saying that we help," say District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst and First District Councillor Karl-Friedrich Frese. However, due to the sharp increase in the number of refugees allocated to the municipalities by the state, the Waldeck-Frankenberg district, like many other districts, has reached the limits of its accommodation possibilities. The use of the district's own sports halls or communal facilities must be avoided as a matter of urgency. "In the task of accommodating refugees and providing them with the best possible care, municipalities are therefore also dependent on support from the federal and state governments.
2.5 months conversion time, rooms for 180 people
Thanks to the good cooperation with the property owner, the Frankenberg residential quarter could be prepared in a relatively short period of time: After about ten weeks of conversion, the approximately 4,700 square metre site of a former DIY and garden market now offers 59 rooms for a total of 177 people on a transitional basis. Each room is equipped with beds, cupboards, seating furniture and its own refrigerator. In a few days, refugees will be accommodated here. In addition, all residents are provided with basic cooking and washing utensils. There will also be meeting and seating facilities in the common areas of the individual blocks of flats. There, the residents can also eat together, for example.
Due to the convenient location and proximity to Frankenberg's city centre and grocery shops, people can also provide for themselves independently. In the specially equipped kitchen area, 16 kitchenettes are available for preparing meals. Washing machines and dryers are also available. There is also a training room for the language courses of the district adult education centre and rooms for social work.
Care by the district
In order to care for and support the residents on site, employees of the district will be on site around the clock in the future. They not only provide assistance to the refugees, but also support the social work professionals in their work. The accommodation is managed and organised by the district's social affairs department.
The district administrator and first district councillor make it clear that the use of the former DIY and garden centre as a residential quarter for refugees should be limited in time - to a few years. "Sustainable solutions must be found to accommodate the people here," say Jürgen van der Horst and Karl-Friedrich Frese. In the long term, the building "Am Grün" should also be used for commercial purposes again, if possible.