Unacceptable Lucerne mother disgusted by urine and dirt in emergency apartment

A woman from Lucerne and her child had to move into emergency accommodation at short notice due to mold in their own home. The unhygienic condition of the accommodation shocked the mother. The city puts things into perspective.

Health problems caused by mold forced a Lucerne mother and her twelve-year-old son to move out of their previous apartment. But in Lucerne it is difficult to find an affordable replacement in a short space of time. Desperate, the woman called the city's social services. They responded quickly: the very next day, she was allocated a furnished emergency apartment "especially for women and children", as the Lucerne woman toldBlick.

"I had no expectations. The main thing was that we had somewhere to sleep," the mother tells the daily newspaper. But when she opened the door, she was in for a nasty surprise: the carpets and curtains were darkly discolored, the mattresses and comforters were full of urine, dirt and vermin everywhere. The washing machine was broken and there was no vacuum cleaner, crib or changing table. In an apartment where children and women are supposed to find refuge, mind you.

"Hygiene and safety must be guaranteed. That was definitely not the case," says the Lucerne resident.

An environment between brothel and drug users

The location of the apartment also gave her pause for thought. It is located in Baselstrasse above a funeral home, with a brothel in the immediate vicinity. "When I looked out of the window, I could see people taking drugs." The mother is worried about her son.

And she gets to work: she cleans, washes the curtains in her own washing machine in the old apartment, organizes a drill and mends the bed that fell apart on the first evening.

The city charges between 45 and 55 francs per night for its five emergency apartments, depending on occupancy. The disgusting apartment is rented out privately to the city of Lucerne. According to the social services, users only stay in the emergency apartments for an average of four months. However, the Lucerne resident knows of two women who lived in one of the shelters for one and a half years. "I don't think that's reasonable," she tells Blick.

City of Lucerne: no better facilities necessary

The landlady did not initially take care of the faulty washing machine until she complained to the social services. The mother offered to get the city a free changing table via Facebook. But there is no interest in this: There is no need for better facilities, as people would only use the emergency apartments for a short time. "The emergency apartments are not intended as a permanent solution," Stadt clarifies.

Nevertheless, the currently vacant apartment on Baselstrasse is now to be inspected. The single mother does not have to pay anything. The city confirmed to Blick that a cost waiver was possible following an examination of the financial circumstances.