Lisbon, Feb. 20, 2025 (Lusa) - The number of homeless people helped by the Portuguese Red Cross (CVP) increased by 76% in 2024, according to the institution, which on Thursday presents the ‘Bench of Memories’ fundraising campaign.
According to the information sent to the Lusa agency, "the number of beneficiaries supported by the CVP's street teams registered a significant increase of 76% in 2024, reflecting the growing social and housing crisis in the country", while the average number of daily meals served increased by 34%.
For CVP, this is "worrying data that shows the deteriorating living conditions of many people and families in situations of vulnerability".
It also points to the rising cost of living, the lack of affordable housing and the insufficiency of effective social support as reasons why more people are homeless, i.e. without a fixed address or a permanent place to live, and are looking for more support.
"The trend is not limited to those living on the streets, but also includes people at risk of homelessness, many of whom are employed but lack the financial capacity to secure stable housing," says CVP, pointing to the most recent official data on the profile of people experiencing homelessness.
This information, which relates to 2024, shows a change in profile, with a "significant increase in the number of entire families, young people in precarious housing situations and workers whose salaries do not allow them to cover their housing costs", says CVP, guaranteeing that it verifies this reality on the ground.
Meanwhile, the organisation has seen a drop of 31% in the number of people who have received accommodation, which CVP explains as a "lack of affordable housing solutions, which inhibit turnover in reception structures".
"The scarcity of housing at prices compatible with income, the rise in rents, the lack of complementary support for autonomy and the unavailability of vacancies in reception facilities subsequent to those of a temporary or more specialised nature, prevent people from leaving, limiting access to new beneficiaries," says the CVP.
In this sense, "the Red Cross warns of the need for more effective public policies that promote access to decent housing and reinforce social support, allowing shelters to have a real impact on the social reintegration of homeless people".
As a way of minimising this problem, CVP has created a campaign, called (the park) ‘Bench of Memories’, to alert and increase society's awareness "of this alarming reality and contribute to effective solutions".
As the organisation explains, the campaign consists of the inauguration of park benches, in partnership with the CVP structures in Santarém - Cartaxo, Braga and Vila Nova de Gaia, which encourage civil society to reflect and join CVP in the fight against the social exclusion of homeless people.
The campaign kicks off today to mark World Social Justice Day, with TV and radio spots, and aims to appeal to citizens and companies to contribute to this cause.
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