Since 2017, the Integration Fund of the state of Lower Saxony has been funding projects that support urban society in coping with the diverse challenges posed by the influx of refugees. In the first year, only Delmenhorst and Wilhelmshaven were eligible alongside Salzgitter, and other municipalities were added. Last year, eleven other municipalities received money from the fund in addition to Salzgitter.
Of the nine projects applied for by the city of Salzgitter with total costs of around 4.2 million euros, the Office for Regional Development has currently approved six projects. Three outstanding applications for funding are still being processed by the Office for Regional Development. These are an application for office work in Steterburg and the Seeviertel district, an application for the expansion of street work services and an application for funding for the procurement of room modules for the construction of a modular elementary school at the Pestalozzi School site.
Salzgitter's Lord Mayor Frank Klingebiel emphasizes: "Integration is an ongoing task. Even six years after the refugee crisis, our city still has enormous challenges to overcome. The continuation of the integration fund decided last year by the state of Lower Saxony, which the municipal umbrella organizations as well as my colleagues and I have campaigned for, offers the necessary planning security to implement medium-term projects together with our committed cooperation partners."
"The city of Salzgitter continues to do a great job in overcoming the challenges of integrating its many new citizens from other countries. The Office for Regional State Development is very happy to continue to support the city in this important task by continuing to fund good projects that are necessary for this." emphasizes the State Commissioner for Regional Development, Dr. Ulrike Witt