Wohnungsschein

English translation: housing voucher (certificate)

21:36 May 8, 2017
German to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - History
German term or phrase: Wohnungsschein
Context: A POW in the Camp des Milles in 1940 is trying to escape. He writes, "Wenn ich das Lager mit oder ohne Gewalt verlasse, dann gehe ich nach X.; fuer diese Gemeinde habe ich mir auch einen Wohnungsschein wunderbarerweise ohne Papiere beschaffen koennen."

What exactly is the 'Wohnungsschein' being referred to here?
Emma Rault (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:24
English translation:housing voucher (certificate)
Explanation:
Wonder how he would have gotten hold of one without papers. "Friends" in high places and/or sufficient resources to bribe?

The "housing voucher" or "housing allowance" concept is
emerging as the principal tool in U.S . housing subsidy policy.
In Europe, governments have effectively operated national
housing allowance systems for several decades with a
wide variety of strategies https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/1986/05/art3full.pdf
Selected response from:

Michael Martin, MA
United States
Local time: 15:24
Grading comment
Thank you (& thanks to Johanna for the useful ref)!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2housing voucher (certificate)
Michael Martin, MA
3 +2certificate of eligibility for public housing / got myself onto the housing list
Lancashireman
Summary of reference entries provided
Johanna Timm, PhD

Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
housing voucher (certificate)


Explanation:
Wonder how he would have gotten hold of one without papers. "Friends" in high places and/or sufficient resources to bribe?

The "housing voucher" or "housing allowance" concept is
emerging as the principal tool in U.S . housing subsidy policy.
In Europe, governments have effectively operated national
housing allowance systems for several decades with a
wide variety of strategies https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/1986/05/art3full.pdf


Michael Martin, MA
United States
Local time: 15:24
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 74
Grading comment
Thank you (& thanks to Johanna for the useful ref)!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  gangels (X)
1 day 15 mins
  -> Thanks, gangels!

agree  Johanna Timm, PhD: "housing certificate" seems to be used in that specific historical context; see also: http://tinyurl.com/lnawtzq
1 day 21 hrs
  -> Thank you, Johanna!
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
certificate of eligibility for public housing / got myself onto the housing list


Explanation:
A certificate of eligibility for public housing (Wohnberechtigungsschein, or WBS) gives you the right to move into an apartment where the rent is subsidized by the state – also known as “social housing.” A WBS certificate is only issued to households and persons on low incomes.
http://www.bgp-am.com/en/faq/id-6-what-is-a-certificate-of-e...

In your context: I've got myself onto the housing list for this (local) authority...

I am posting this as a separate answer to 'voucher' because that would imply a cash value covering the rent either in part or in full.

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Note added at 40 days (2017-06-18 01:03:20 GMT) Post-grading
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You are very welcome, Emma.

Lancashireman
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:24
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 252

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  writeaway
8 hrs

agree  Björn Vrooman: "vouchers" used in the US are to support the private(!) housing market. May I suggest "housing register," which is closest to Wohnberechtigungsschein or your list, IMO: https://www.southampton.gov.uk/housing/find-a-home/apply-for...
13 hrs
  -> Thanks, Björn. Housing register is good. Asker's source text is written in a chatty style, hence my two suggestions - one formal and one informal. // Asker found Dr Timm's reference "useful".
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Reference comments


22 hrs
Reference

Reference information:
"Unless they were sponsored by some organization, it was difficult for foreign Jews to gain release from the internment camps, especially when they had no money.
Prefects were not very generous with their housing certificates. The subprefect for the département of Le Puy-de-Dôme, for example, refused to grant Kohn Felsenberg permission to spend two or three months with his father-in-law’s family in a small village; such an authorization would have let him leave the Rivesaltes camp where he was interned with the rest of his family."

https://bir.brandeis.edu/bitstream/handle/10192/28472/Poznan...

Johanna Timm, PhD
Canada
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 60

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
neutral  Björn Vrooman: Did not come around to agreeing with your reference comment, but I'm totally confused here. Your own link supports the idea of this not being a "voucher" or some kind of monetary support. That was the gist of the first answer.
8 days
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