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Wiesbaden (dpa / lhe) - The housing shortage has exacerbated the situation in women's shelters in Hesse in recent years.

Women could not move out there because they would not find suitable housing, said the Ministry of Social Affairs in Wiesbaden.

As a result, there is even less space in the houses for women who have acute needs.

Last year, on average, every 13th resident stayed in a women's shelter for more than a year; no data was available for 2020.

There are a total of 727 places for women and their children in the 31 women's shelters in Hessen, the number has not changed for years.

According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, Hessen will receive around 2.1 million euros annually from 2020 to 2023 from the federal funding program “Together against violence against women”.

This money should also be used to promote women's shelters.

Since the beginning of the corona pandemic, it has been noticed that the advice centers, such as the helpline for violence against women, are being used significantly more, with an increase of 20 percent.

"In addition, domestic violence is generally characterized by a high number of unreported cases."

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Some women's shelters report a rush in the months after the first lockdown, there was no more free space throughout Hesse.

The same is now the case in the second hard lockdown, but the Hessian women's shelters have always been fully booked in recent years.

«There are basically too few free places in Hessen.

We are trying to send the women to neighboring countries, such as North Rhine-Westphalia, ”said the women's refuge in Limburg, which is run by the association“ Women helping women ”.

“We definitely had more inquiries in 2020 than last year,” said Simone Mertel, who is responsible for women's shelters at the Frankfurt Association for Social Homes.

During the first lockdown, the situation was still very calm;

many men were at home, so it was difficult for the women to seek help.

"That came with a delay in the summer."

On the other hand, there were no major changes in the inquiries in the women's shelter in Fulda operated by the Catholic women's social service.

“It was just as intense as usual. We take in between 35 and 40 women with their children every year.

We have to turn 120 women away because we have no more space, ”said a spokeswoman.

However, the average length of stay this year was longer - also because it had become even more difficult to find an apartment.

Overview women's shelters in Hessen