Barcelona City Council is looking to get more in-depth information on the causes of homelessness in the city. On the one hand, the aim is to seek the input of the homeless when it comes to designing policy, and on the other, the idea is to re-examine support structures. These are some of the strategies proposed in a report analysing homelessness in Barcelona in 2015, undertaken by the XAPSLL support network for the homeless.

There are nearly 2,800 homeless people in Barcelona, a figure which has remained fairly stable over the last few years. The report on homelessness, ‘Diagnosi 2015. La situació del sensellarisme a Barcelona’, is a biannual study by the support network for the homeless, Xarxa d’Atenció de Persones Sense Llar (XAPSLL). The study is conducted at street level and examines the profiles of homeless people and the current support network and services available to them.

Apart from presenting statistics, the report provides a thorough insight into the complexity of the issue. It underlines how there is no common profile for the homeless and that the issue is not limited to those living rough in the streets. “We understand homelessness as something more than sleeping rough”, points out Albert Sales the report coordinator. “Homelessness also means living in hostels, in inclusive housing aimed at living an independent life, squatting or being dependent on financial help from social services to pay for a room or a hostel”, specifies Sales.

Giving users a voice

The report identifies homelessness as a consequence of the difficulties in accessing housing. The conclusion ties in with City Council’s move to increase social housing for people without homes and strengthen programmes such as the ‘Housing First’ initiative. The study also promotes more welcoming support areas, enabling people to get on with each other better and enhancing user privacy. It also proposes improved support aimed at homeless women.

“The presentation of this report means we can take stock and re-think what we’re doing well and what we’re doing badly”, asserted Laia Ortiz, Deputy Mayor for Social Rights. One of the main developments to be taken on board in the future will be the increased participation of users. City Council will task the XAPSLL with identifying people who are currently or have been homeless, in order to set up a committee of experts and give the collective a voice and an influence in designing policies to tackle severe homelessness.