Of 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 eight projects. Approval for six projects was already granted in August. The funding that has now been approved will be used to expand street work services and for office work as part of the "Wir sind Quartier" project in the Steterburg and Seeviertel districts.
Mayor Frank Klingebiel was delighted with the promised funding and emphasized: "Integration is an ongoing task. Also and especially in Salzgitter. Thanks to the continuation of the integration fund by the state of Lower Saxony, which was decided last year and for which the municipal umbrella organizations as well as my colleagues and I have campaigned, we can now continue and intensify important projects such as street work or neighborhood work in the medium term."
State Commissioner Dr. Ulrike Witt commented: "I am delighted that the state is now able to support the city of Salzgitter in two further important projects for integration in the districts with the funding that has now been granted. Even if the influx of refugees has fallen somewhat out of the headlines due to the pandemic, the special challenges for the city of Salzgitter remain. Salzgitter is on the right track here, and the state is happy to make a contribution."
The Extension Streetwork project, for which the Office for Regional Development is providing around 203,600 euros in funding, is primarily aimed at intensive relationship work with young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds. The nine street workers, whose personnel costs are partly covered by the funding, go directly into the target group's environment and visit them in their free time at their meeting places. The aim is to gain access to young people who are not reached by other help and support services.
Around 159,900 euros were approved for the "Kontorsarbeit, Wir sind Quartier" project. In connection with the effects of the increased influx of refugees, local social work increasingly requires the use of resources and structures in the residential area. The Kontorsarbeit is an interface for coordination and structuring between the needs of citizens in the residential area and the services offered by clubs, parishes and associations in particular. This work is characterized by commitment, creativity and flexibility. The aim is to strengthen a well-functioning flow of information between the residents and local players, the Kontor management and the city administration - in other words, good networking. The integration fund supports the Kontor's work in the Steterburg, Fredenberg and Seevierteltreff areas.
About the integration fund:
Since 2017, the Integration Fund of the state of Lower Saxony has been used to support projects that help urban society to overcome 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.