Yesterday, the Institute of Social and Socio-Health Care (IASS), which is a department of the Tenerife Cabildo, brought together more than 200 representatives from associations who care for the homeless, to formulate a coordinated and comprehensive action plan to care for them more effectively as homeless figures on the island continue to rise.
The island president, Pedro Martín, stressed that it is a problem that is "often invisible" to most people, but it is absolutely necessary to seek alternatives that allow both improving the care provided, and preventing people from becoming homeless in the first place.
He stated that: "it is not just about providing a roof over someone’s head, we have to go further, we have to analyze what the problem is and where it stems from, and look for alternatives so that these people can regain their self-esteem and pride, and get their lives back on track. We must also be aware that any of us can find ourselves in the same situation”.
The Cabildo allocates 1.6 million euros annually to finance various resources, both direct care and prevention of homelessness, with which in 2021, more than 3,800 people were helped. He highlighted "the importance of listening to opinions and experiences to guide and define new resources that can help solve the problem."
The Councillor for Citizen Participation and Diversity, Nauzet Gugliotta, praised the work that has been carried out to address the problem of homelessness "with great sensitivity, from the perspective that it is a broad phenomenon that affects a diverse population”.
He confirmed that "it is the first time that a participatory method has been applied to address the problem of homelessness from an island perspective, with both the opinions of social entities and public administrations."
These meetings have taken place due to the results of the study on people in a situation of extreme residential exclusion in Tenerife 2021, carried out by Cáritas Diocesana de Tenerife, who are a charity that deals with homeless people all over the island, and was financed by the IASS, which revealed that 2,738 people on the island are currently affected.
