From Friday evening, there will be emergency accommodation in the Blue Cross’ café in Bergen city center.
The gang is relieved that the living situation has finally been resolved.
– We have to show that we are happy, says one of them while posing for the photographer.
The solution has arrived in a hurry before the Pentecost weekend.
– We have actually landed on this solution today, confirms Kristine Moskvil Thorsen in the Church’s City Mission.
They first agreed to arrange emergency accommodation in their premises in Nubbebakken, but after a brainstorming session, the two players decided to join forces so that the offer will be as accessible as possible to the users.
Worked hard
The termination of the lease has been known for a long time, but as far as BA is aware, it has proved difficult to find new premises.
The Church’s City Mission and Blue Cross have been working hard in recent days to find a solution for emergency accommodation for visiting EEA citizens without permanent residence in the city.
At Blå Kors and Hvite Bånds Dagsenter in Magnus Barfots gate, volunteers have served breakfast and dinner for many years.
Now there will be an offer in the same premises also at night, confirms Tore Vindenes.
– We use the premises as a day center during the day, so this will be multi-use. I was thrown into it a little bit, so to speak. During the pandemic, we have learned to be very solution-oriented. When others shut down, we used our imagination to find solutions, he says.
On Friday, the Blue Cross bought camp beds for the café, and the Church’s City Mission has run down mattresses and bedding.
Shower, washing machines, dryer and new hot water tank were also put in place in a hurry.
– We make it happen, says plumber Wojciech Markiewicz as he screws together the new shower enclosure.
On Friday night, users will be allowed to set up the newly purchased camp beds in the premises that usually function as a day center.
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Night watchman from the city mission
A night watchman from the Church’s City Mission’s ordinary offer will be in charge of operations between 9 pm and 8 am.
Exactly how the scheme will be in the coming months is not entirely clear yet.
– We may enter into a collaboration agreement where we collaborate on employees running it through the summer. That is what we have talked about today, says Thorsen.
When social services councilor Ruth Grung visited the (Labor Party) café on Friday morning, both the plumber and others were on hand to make sure that everything was in order.
– First and foremost, I want to praise the Blue Cross that turned around so quickly. Committed and change-oriented players in this city have done a fantastic job, offering premises first in Nubbebakken and then here where it is even better, she says.
– Users of the offer have been desperate and feared that they would have to sleep on the street. Why did it take so long before the municipality guaranteed that no one would sleep on the street?
– We have said from the municipality all the time that we are responsible for emergency aid to poor visitors from EEA countries. They get covered travel home, and no one should spend the night outside. We did the same during the pandemic.
– The city council leader finally said that the municipality would use emergency hotels if necessary. Was it communicated to the group that they were not allowed to sleep on the street?
– Through the Robin Hood house, we have been informed that they wanted to be here despite the uncertainty with the emergency accommodation, but we are not the ones who had the offer. The dialogue has been between the Church’s City Mission and the users. When the municipality finally got the assignment, we turned around. We have searched through all our premises in the city center – but none were vacant this summer and suitable for accommodation.
Continues the hunt
Thorsen and Vindenes are relieved that they have put in place a temporary solution, but the former emphasizes that this scheme will not be permanent either.
The Church’s City Mission will now continue the search for new, permanent premises in the city center.
Thorsen hopes that they will find a solution within the next few weeks.
– We intend to continue this work in the long term, but it can not happen in these premises, says Thorsen.
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