- Some of the shelters that open in winter to spend the night in the street close their doors at the end of the cold season. But those people are still living on the street and have nowhere to spend the night. Protesters have called for "deeper" planning to address the "problem".
Ongi Etorri Errefuxiatuak and Beste Bi ask in Bilbao not to close shelters while people sleep on the street, according to the association Eldiario.es. In the same province of Bizkaia, 264 people spend the night in the street, according to research.
People living on the street say that without the shelter service it is very hard not to have the resources to attend to basic needs such as hygiene. They have also highlighted the risk of street violence, especially if it is a woman.
They have denounced that the response from the Social Services is geared towards emergency care, that is, in the short or medium term, rather than stable housing.
The Housing Department of the Basque Government says, however, that the issue is complex: “For all, the solution is not to give a house. They may have problems with alcohol, or some mental illness… and are not able to manage a home.”
Ongi Etorri Errefuxiatuak and Beste Bi are clear about the cry: “No one without a house.”