Homelessness grows by 57%, with more than 8,000 people living on Andalucía's streets

Homelessness is growing in Andalucía. The number of homeless people has increased in Andalucia by 57% since 2012. This is according to data from the Andalusian Association for Human Rights (APDHA).

This NGO claims that the number of homeless people in the area is more than 8,000. However, this could be “just the tip of the problem” as it continues to grow. This figure is only for those who have asked for help or received official attention.

Andalucía’s homelessness problem “has widened” since 2008, according to the APDHA report, which uses data collected from the national institute of statistics (INE). There is a widespread misconception that homelessness statistics only include people with addictions or mental health problems, such as drug or alcohol abuse. Families who have been evicted from their homes, illegal immigrants, young people living in exile or victims of gender based violence are all on the rise. The NGO claims that many people would never have thought they could end up living in the streets.

The increase in homeless people is a concern for the entire country, but especially the big cities. In Andalucía, only three provincial capitals (Jaén, Almeria and Huelva) have responded to APDHA’s request for information about homeless people.

There are also many other people who live in poor conditions, in settlements or substandard housing. Macarena Olid, deputy coordinator of the APHDA, said that many people “lack decent accommodation”, but city councils do not acknowledge their living conditions because it would be “shameful”.

Pro Derechos Humanos denounces the insufficient support from the administrations in Andalucía and calls for “less charity and more justice”.

A further problem is that the 174 centres which provide services to the homeless are all unstaffed. Only 25 of these centres are public. Volunteers work in these centres.

APDH criticizes “the lack” of resources available to give homeless people dignified care. According to Pro Derechos Humanos, Andalucía is the region that spends the least on assistance to homeless people. 46% of those living in rented housing in the region face poverty or exclusion, and 200,000 children are in a state of severe material or social deprivation.

Pro Derechos Humanos is also critical of the “unacceptable demands” placed on those without a place to stay, even if it’s just for an overnight in a shelter or other similar centre, forcing them out onto the streets. It also warns that the high level of poverty and social exclusion, together with cuts in public services and job insecurity, place Andalucía “on the brink of the abyss”.

APDHA intends to launch an awareness campaign entitled ‘Homeless, invisible to all’ under the title of “Homeless, and invisible to all” in order to denounce this “dehumanisation”.