Franziska Hilberath’s home in western Germany’s Ahr valley was wrecked by flash floods last summer, so moving into a donation-funded ‘tiny house’ this month just in time for the holidays was a Christmas miracle for her.
Since July, when Germany’s most deadly floods in six decades killed more than 180 people and wrecked numerous homes, roads, railway lines and bridges, Hilberath and her family have been sleeping in the homes of friends and relatives.
They were on a waiting list for ‘tiny houses’ to dwell in while they repaired their ancient half-timbered house, which had been flooded to the ground floor ceiling after the Ahr River burst its banks following record rainfall.
The government has established a 30 billion euro ($34 billion) recovery fund to aid the rebuilding of western and southern Germany, following the floods.
Citizens’ efforts, on the other hand, have gathered millions of euros, some of which will now be used to fund the construction of tiny houses as the cold sets in and many flood-damaged structures remain without heat or electricity.
So far, 25 tiny homes of 30 square metres (323 square feet) each have been distributed to flood victims in Grafschaft. Each house features a bathroom, a bedroom and an open kitchen, as well as bed linens, a kettle and a coffee machine.
Post Your Comments