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Date Published: 24/11/2021

ARCHIVED - More homeless people in Alicante as a percentage of the population than Madrid and Barcelona

ARCHIVED ARTICLE

At least 200 people sleep on the streets in Alicante city every night

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - More homeless people in Alicante as a percentage of the population than Madrid and Barcelona

The Network of Organisations for the Care of the Homeless in Alicante (REAPSHA) is staging an awareness event to mark Homeless Day on Saturday November 27 to highlight the "extreme vulnerability" of those who are forced to sleep on the streets.

At least 200 homeless people sleep rough every night in Alicante city, which is a higher ratio of the total population than in Madrid, Barcelona and Zaragoza, according ot REAPSHA, and between 10am and 2pm on Saturday, representatives will be raising awareness abut the issue in the gardens of Alicante Provincial Palace.

"We also want to show, to anyone who comes, the work that the organisations and, in particular, the professional street teams and volunteers carry out accompanying and assisting these people with a dual objective: to improve the conditions in which they live, and to try to offer alternative," explained REAPSHA.

The last official homeless count, the result of a 'Homeless MeetUp' campaign, was carried out in 2017 when 182 volunteers identified 195 people sleeping rough, a figure which is believed to be even higher now.

These figures show a ratio of almost six people in every 10,000 inhabitants living in the streets, or one person for every 1,692 people in Alicante.

In Valencia city, this rate drops to five people for every 10,000 inhabitants, or one in every 1,950 people.

And, surprisingly, in cities such as Madrid or Barcelona, with a much larger population than Alicante, the ratio is four people per 10,000, or one in every 2,264.

As well as raising awareness, the organisation is calling for "more attention to be paid to these people by public and political authorities", along with more practical and financial resources for homeless people.

"It is also necessary to create specific resources for groups that are not sufficiently covered, such as victims of violence, addicts and people with mental health issues and long-standing illnesses. Specific attention must also be paid to the issue of affordable renting of rooms or access to housing in adequate conditions," said REAPSHA, adding: "To move towards a plan for the city of Alicante all agencies and administrations must be involved."

Image: Archive

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