Housing counselling in Brandenburg: A lot of potential that is too rarely used preventively

Housing counselling is a central key to independent living in old age. However, current results from the research project "Professionalisation of housing advice in Brandenburg" (ProWoB) at the Chair of Social Services for Structurally Weak Regions show that, in practice, advice often only comes into play when there is already an acute need for support.

"In many places, housing advice is only sought when the crisis is already there - prevention often comes too late," says Prof. Dr Alexandra Retkowski, project manager of ProWoB at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg. "Yet early counselling has enormous potential to delay the need for care and maintain independence."

Counselling as crisis intervention

The analysis of guided interviews with housing counsellors at care support centres in Brandenburg shows that Counselling often resembles a crisis intervention, for example after hospitalisation or in the event of a sudden need for care. Interviewees described the situation with the words: "When the child has fallen into the well."

Although the care support centres are important contact points throughout the country, their preventative potential has so far been limited. The reasons for this include limited capacity, low public visibility and overlaps in content with care counselling, as advice on care and age-appropriate housing are based on very different needs and realities of life for older people. In addition, the concept of care has a daunting effect on many older people and their relatives.

The ProWoB project therefore sees a clear need for action: "Housing advice needs to be more preventative, more holistic and more professional," summarises research assistant Sarah Kautz, adding: "Among other things, there is a need for progressive professionalisation, secure funding and greater integration of socio-spatial and future-relevant issues."

Housing counselling is more than just an administrative service - it is an investment in quality of life, social participation and sustainable communities.

Background: ProWoB research project

The research project "Professionalisation of housing advice in Brandenburg" (ProWoB) examines the supply situation in Lusatia, identifies quality features of housing advice and tests a training and implementation concept for housing advisors. The aim is to further develop housing counselling in a participatory manner and to consolidate it in the long term. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).