Innsbruck Red Cross shelter will stay open year-round in 2027

Innsbruck’s Red Cross emergency shelter will remain open year-round in 2027 after recording 98 percent occupancy during its first year of continuous operation, ORF reports.

The shelter recorded 9,320 overnight stays from November 2025 to the end of October 2026. Women experiencing homelessness accounted for about 30 percent of use, and the facility has a separate sleeping room for women.

The shelter has 26 beds. The Red Cross says demand remains high throughout the year, as poverty, rising housing costs and a shortage of affordable homes have worsened the situation for people without housing in Innsbruck. Some people who come to sleep there work during the day.

The City of Innsbruck and the state of Tyrol, which have covered the costs so far, are prepared to fund the year-round operation next year. The shelter is open daily from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. and accepts women and men until 11 p.m. It provides a warm meal and separate sanitary facilities. If all beds are occupied, staff can give people turned away sleeping mats and sleeping bags.