The Benno and Inge Behrens-Stiftung is a Hamburg-based social investment foundation established in 1990 by construction entrepreneur Benno Behrens and his wife Inge. The foundation emerged from decades of residential construction experience, with roots tracing back to 1946 when Behrens founded a demolition company that eventually expanded into housing development.
The foundation's core mission centers on providing housing for people excluded from conventional rental markets. Rather than operating as a charity, it functions as a social investor, offering cost-covering rents and combining housing provision with professional social support. This dual approach reflects the founders' philosophy of providing stable housing in the lower price segment.
Since 1992, when the foundation launched with participation in Hamburg's winter emergency program for homeless people, it has developed multiple housing projects targeting diverse vulnerable populations. Currently, the organization maintains particular focus on people experiencing homelessness, operating 76 transitional housing units across five Hamburg locations. These serve as stepping stones toward independent housing arrangements.
Recent initiatives include Housing First Hamburg, launched in summer 2022, which places long-term homeless individuals directly into permanent market-rate apartments with accompanying social support. Early outcomes show remarkably stable rental relationships. The foundation also operates Wohnschmiede, a six-unit housing project for homeless EU citizens without secured social benefits, started in early 2024 in cooperation with the Eimsbüttel parish.
The organization participates in Hamburg's ambitious goal to eliminate homelessness by 2030, functioning as an active member of the Alliance for New Social Housing Policy alongside established social organizations.