Replacement must be found quickly

Bed bugs, mold: emergency shelter closes

The emergency shelter on Schusterbergweg in Innsbruck.

(Bild: Christof Birbaumer/Krone KREATIV)

It is simply no longer acceptable for residents and staff - that is the result of an inspection of the hygiene and structural situation at the Innsbruck emergency shelter on Schusterbergweg. It has to close temporarily. A replacement sleeping place for 90 men and women is needed. 

When night falls in Innsbruck, dozens of homeless people can be seen marching towards Schusterbergweg every day. This is where the Tyrolean Social Services (TSD) run an emergency shelter for those at the bottom of the pile. "It's the lowest social net - and therefore all the more important. If people can't find accommodation with us, they have no alternative," explains TSD spokesperson Florian Stolz. 

We immediately closed one affected area.

Florian Stolz, Sprecher Tiroler Soziale Dienste

Expert identifies need for action
90 men and women regularly come in and out of the house. The emergency shelter is almost always full. But now the hygiene conditions have worsened. "An expert who regularly inspects the place for us has come to the conclusion that there is a need for action," Stolz confirms a report by ORF to Krone. 

Bedbugs have apparently spread in the emergency accommodation to such an extent that they can no longer be combated using conventional means. The TSD spokesperson emphasizes that despite extensive hygiene measures, such pests are repeatedly brought in by residents in bags and rucksacks. 

The extensive sanitation work began on Thursday.

(Bild: Christian Forcher)

The expert also discovered mold infestation in a sanitary facility. "We closed this area immediately," explains Stolz. However, the TSD spokesperson adds that the staff could no longer control the bed bugs during ongoing operations. The emergency shelter therefore has to be vacated and is not habitable for the time being. 

People need a roof over their heads. We are not leaving anyone out on the street.

Johannes Anzengruber, Bürgermeister 

Bild: Christian Forcher

The state and city have their sights set on alternative accommodation
Where to put the homeless people from Schusterbergweg now? "The people are not mobile. And we can only look after them if we can accommodate them in the Innsbruck area," Stolz explains the most important basic condition. "We are working on finding a solution quickly," said Eva Pawlata (SPÖ), the provincial councillor for social affairs, and Johannes Anzengruber, the mayor of Innsbruck, on Thursday. The head of the city added: "Even though the state is responsible, we naturally support the state government. People need a roof over their heads. We won't leave anyone out on the street."

Tents and emergency winter shelter as a ray of hope
The ray of hope came at lunchtime on Thursday: The TSD has its sights set on alternative accommodation for the homeless. The winter emergency shelter in Richard-Berger-Straße in Innsbruck is to serve as temporary accommodation. There is room for 20 people. "We will accommodate the vulnerable groups there," explains Stolz. The rest of those affected will be housed in tents next to the winter emergency shelter until the Schusterbergweg site is renovated and habitable again. 

This investment is only possible if the emergency shelter can remain here in the long term.

Florian Stolz, Sprecher TSD

Sluice with heat treatment as a possible solution
Stolz assumes that the emergency shelter will be habitable again in a few weeks. Time is pressing, as the replacement accommodation that has now been found will be urgently needed for other people by November at the latest and tents are not an option for the cold season. 

How can we prevent bedbugs from spreading like this in the emergency shelter in future? This is the question that those responsible need to ask themselves. Stolz talks about the possibility of building an airlock at the entrance, where the residents' luggage would be subjected to a special heat treatment that would kill the bugs in their bags. "But this investment is only possible if the emergency shelter can stay here in the long term."