“In the capital, nobody has to sleep outside”, stressed Mayor Polfer during Wednesday’s CityBreakfast. The politician further explained that despite an extensive offer of services, there are still people refusing assistance.
During the cold temperatures of the past weeks there has been a persisting tendency of homeless people to seek shelter in the doorways of buildings. The Luxembourg City Mayor met with Minister of Internal Security Henri Kox to demand that police be more rigorous in removing people from these spots. Since this summer, a bill allowing police to evict members of the public blocking access to buildings was passed in the Chamber of Deputies.
Mayor Polfer stated: “Police can take people away and force them out of doorways. However, that rarely happens. If something happens to those people now when it gets cold, then that is ‘neglect of a person in danger’.”
Read also: ‘Winter Action’ - A shelter to protect the homeless from freezing temperaturesAccording to Christof Mann, director of the capital’s social services, some people prefer sleeping outside despite enough beds being available in the country’s shelters. This can be for various reasons, explained Mann: “We have people with addiction who are still up and about at night, driven by their inner demons, who have a psychological illness, are agitated, or even suffer from claustrophobic episodes. Then we have people who come here to beg and since everyone has their ‘territory’, nobody wants to lose their spot.”
In cooperation with the Health Directorate, municipal officials are now looking to open facilities specifically designed to help people with psychological problems.
