New dorm in Niederrad: 320 places for refugees and homeless!

New dorm in Niederrad: 320 places for refugees and homeless!

In the Niedrad district in Frankfurt, the conversion of a hotel to a transitional accommodation for refugees and homeless people is prepared. The hotel "Essential by Dorint" is still open to hotel guests until the end of October. The Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB) then takes over the building to accommodate 320 people in the future.

In an information evening, representatives of the city and the ASB described the plans to the residents. From November, the hotel's 191 double rooms will be converted into 104 residential units that are geared towards the needs of refugee families, especially for those with more than four people. Until the necessary cooking opportunities are completed, catering is carried out by Caterer.

conversion and equipment

Katrin Wenzel, head of the municipal unit accommodation management, said that the renovation should be completed by the end of next year. The new apartments are intended to enable better integration of people who come from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria and Eritrea. The city plans to accommodate a diverse age group to reduce the pressure on the existing educational institutions.

The managing director of the ASB, Thomas Müller-Witte, emphasized the importance of a smooth process: "We want everything to go as noiseless as possible here." The residents were encouraged to contact those responsible to comment on questions or concerns.

interaction with the neighborhood

Many residents expressed concerns about the use of some facilities in the hotel, especially the swimming pool. Several voices from the audience asked whether the swimming pool could not be used. The ASB said that the financial and security -relevant aspects would speak against it. "The thing is as big as a duck pond," commented Müller-Witte the small number of potential users.

Another important topic on this evening was the availability of daycare and school places for the children of future residents. There were doubts as to whether the refugee children would easily get a place. Wenzel admitted that some of the upcoming residents have been living in Frankfurt for a long time and their children have already been housed in other parts of the city, which could make the way to school a little longer.

The residents were also looking forward to the security situation after the refugees moved into. The police were also represented at the event and confirmed that there is no connection between previous criminal incidents nearby and the existing refugee facilities. However, there were positive feedback from citizens who offered to help on a voluntary basis.

A young resident found that it was inspired by negative comments on social media on the subject of participating in the event. Her positive surprise about the respectful and open discussions within the community shows that the topic of refugee accommodation is of great interest.