Seeking advice |Bedbugs| Housing problems 😢

Hello everyone,

I hope you're all doing well. I really need some advice regarding my situation in Berlin.

I came from a distant country and sought asylum in Germany. It has now been almost a year since I arrived. For the past six months, I have been living in a Wohnheim (Obdachlosenheim) in Berlin, where I was placed by the Sozialamt after my asylum process was completed. Due to the housing shortage in Berlin, finding an apartment—especially as an asylum seeker receiving financial support from the Jobcenter—has been incredibly difficult.

At first, this accommodation seemed okay. There were other refugees, foreigners, and some homeless people—some were nice, others not so much. I share a room with a homeless German man, around 50 years old. He is respectful, clean, and easy to live with. However, over time, a major issue has made my situation unbearable: bedbugs.

A few months ago, my room became infested out of nowhere. I reported it to the office staff, and they brought in a pest control team. They sprayed everything, and for a few weeks, it seemed like the problem was solved. But then, the bedbugs came back. I went to the office again, but this time, they told me there was nothing more they could do—they claimed that since bedbugs spread from room to room, even if my roommate and I were clean, we would keep getting them from others.

With no other choice, I bought anti-itch cream and bedbug spray—even though it was expensive for me. While the cream helps with the itching, the spray only works sometimes. The constant itching and sleepless nights are affecting my daily life, especially my studies. I just started B1 German classes, but with little to no sleep, I struggle to focus in class and during exams.

I reported this issue to the Jobcenter, but they told me it’s not their responsibility to find me housing and advised me to contact the Sozialamt instead. I emailed them, attaching photos of my skin to show the severity of the problem. Their response was shockingly cold and dismissive—they outright refused to relocate me for this reason. At this point, I feel completely hopeless. Living in this room feels like torture.

Out of desperation, I told the Jobcenter that I wanted to quit school and find a full-time job so I could rent my own place. But they discouraged me, saying I should focus on my language course and that they would continue supporting me financially (for now). They advised me to search for an apartment myself and promised that if I found one, they would cover the rent.

But here’s the problem: I’ve been looking for months. I even got ImmoScout24 Premium Membership and searched through Immowelt, WG-Gesucht, and other platforms, but I either find nothing or landlords reject me because of my asylum status. I feel completely stuck in a loop.

At this point, I'm seriously considering quitting school and taking a warehouse job at Amazon, Lidl, or any place that doesn’t require advanced German—just so I can afford to move out. My mental health is suffering. I now take sleeping pills just to fall asleep, and sometimes I use magnesium and other sleep aids from DM, even though I am otherwise perfectly healthy.

I desperately need advice. If anyone has any suggestions or knows of any housing options, I would greatly appreciate it. You can also reply in German—I can understand or translate it.

Thank you.