Nobody in Vienna should have to spend the night on the streets, especially not in winter, and public support is required to help street outreach workers deliver assistance to people sleeping rough in the city. The new KälteApp tool developed by the Vienna Social Fund (FSW) provides members of the public with a quick and easy way of notifying street outreach teams about people sleeping rough in the cold. The app alerts street outreach workers, who will offer quick on-the-spot help in the form of sleeping bags, advice or assistance in finding a warm place for the night in one of the city’s homeless shelters. The app is activated from the end of October until the end of April. It is important to note that the app is not an emergency service: in case of emergency, passers-by should always call an ambulance.

Easy to use

Notification via the app is done in a few simple steps. Step 1: Who needs help? Is it just one person or a group? Are they male or female, and are there children present? This information is important to enable the street outreach team to prepare the most appropriate type of support.  Step 2: Where is help needed? Click on the map of Vienna to indicate the location of the person(s). The field below can be used to enter a more detailed description, e.g. “in the doorway of the building”. There is also space to indicate the person’s physical condition, and whether or not he/she has weather-appropriate clothing and blankets or a sleeping bag. As a final step before clicking send, the notifier also has the option to enter his/her phone number and e-mail address in case the outreach team has any further questions.

Successful first season

The app was launched in winter 2019 and was already downloaded almost 5,000 times in that first season, with 850 notifications sent in by members of the public. The app forms part of the digitalisation and participation strands of the Smart City Wien Framework Strategy. For further information and free download of the app, please visit: kaelteapp.wien.

Contact

Vienna Social Fund (FSW)

E-Mail: kontakt@fsw.at

further information & download: kaelteapp.wien