Brechten (Dortmund) protests new home for people with cognitive impairments

Residents of the Brechten district in Dortmund have rallied against the planned Bethel residential home for people with cognitive impairments on Heinrich‑Heine‑Straße. Their concerns include potential noise, changes to the neighbourhood character and possible effects on property values, as well as the feeling that they were not consulted before the project was approved.

Representatives of the Diakonie Dortmund, the disability organisations Lebenshilfe and Caritas have responded, emphasising the right of people with disabilities to live anywhere and pointing to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Diakonie director Niels Back argued that "they may live wherever they want" and warned against treating such facilities as a special burden for neighbours. He cited the organisation’s own experience running two inclusive housing groups in Hörde and Hombruch where no neighbourhood problems have arisen.

Experts cited studies showing that social‑care facilities do not have a lasting negative impact on real‑estate values, underscoring the broader inclusion debate in German local planning.