EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Municipal Integration Office as 'One-Stop-Agency’

Municipal Integration Office as 'One-Stop-Agency’ - Arnsberg, Germany

Introduction

The Expert group 'Round Table Housing' (1) and the Municipal Integration Office as 'One-Stop-Agency’ (2) are two projects in Arnsmberg, Germany.

The goal of the round table (1) is to reduce and prevent ethnic and social segregation, the municipality has installed an expert group that is charged with gathering expertise in the areas of social housing construction, construction and urban planning, as well as in areas like youth, family and immigration. This ‘round table housing’ developed measures and regulations to counteract segregation tendencies. The most important regulation: financial support for social housing is only given for smaller housing units in non-segregated areas.

The municipal Office for Integration and Immigration (2) is a ‘One-Stop-Agency’: migrants can address all sorts of affairs, including housing-related matters, to the officers.

Description

(1) A disproportionately high number of Spätaussiedler (i.e. ethnic German migrants from Poland and the former Soviet Union), foreigners and socio-economic disadvantaged persons live in two slightly segregated districts (with a high percentage of social housing). This has been seen as problematic by the city and the public. The goal of the new regulations defined by the expert group is preventing further ethnic and socio-economic segregation.

(2) Due to their lack of knowledge concerning language and municipal structures, newly arrived migrants can have a hard time both identifying the right contact person at the municipality and gaining access to living space. The goal of the ‘one-stop-agency’ is facilitating the contact between migrants and the municipality and improving migrants’ access to housing.

Approach

(1) The round table established criteria according to which decisions on eligibility for buildings are made: only buildings with a maximum of eight housing units receive financial support; construction on the outskirts and the concentration of subsidised housing facilities are no longer allowed. Instead, empty spaces in central housing areas have to be closed; proximity to infrastructure like kindergartens and shopping centres is a relevant aspect in matters of financing.

(2) The 'one-stop-agency' is the starting point for all migrants’ concerns. Migrants find assistance for all housing-related matters, e.g. guidance regarding the search for housing, mediation aid when confronted with intercultural conflicts with neighbours, information concerning legal regulations, and, if necessary, referral to other appropriate departments.

Results

(1) Thanks to the ‘new’ regulations, further ethnic and socio-economic segregation could be prevented. In addition, the round table enhanced interdisciplinary discussions and knowledge transfer between offices.

(2) The ‘one-stop-agency’ eases migrants’ contact with municipality and facilitates (and hence improves) migrants’ access to housing.

Beneficiaries

(1) The urban society as a whole, in particular the people living in segregated neighbourhoods and people living in social housing;

(2) Persons with a migration background living in Arnsberg.

Contact info

Stadt Arnsberg, Bürgermeisteramt
Karin Glingener (Personal assistant to the mayor), tel. +49-2932-2011394

Project start date

//1999

Links

Visit the City of Arnsberg website

Download the CLIP study on Arnsberg Housing (PDF, Eng, 300 KB)

Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration

Keywords

Integration of social groups