Homelessness

Nearly a third had also been homeless

As the Avgi storm brings a cold front and heavy rainfall throughout Attica, Athens authorities have been placed on high alert to deal with emergencies.

Specifically, homeless shelters throughout the capital are expecting increased traffic through to the 31st.

The Municipality of Athens was put on alert on Wednesday as a cold snap descended on the Greek capital, mobilizing the services responsible for the protection of more vulnerable citizens and the homeless.

Nadezhda Bacheva, Deputy Mayor of the Metropolitan Municipality overseeing "Social Activities and Integration of People with Disabilities," spearheads a heartfelt initiative aimed at providing sustenance and warmth for those living on the streets during the upcoming holiday season.

The Pangrati Project (thepangratiproject.com), a youth community dedicated to revitalizing downtown Athens through culture, invites you to their Christmas Bazaar supporting strays! Join us alongside Hippie Pets, Vyronas Animal Shelter, and Adopt-a-Paw organization from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

A document forwarded to Parliament on Wednesday by the Deputy Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Sofia Voultepsi, shows that a total of 4,255 children identified as homeless or in precarious living conditions have been housed in the last 2.5 years.

Hundreds of homeless undocumented refugees and migrants staying on the streets of Rhodes Island, Dodecanese tried to board commercial boats to Piraeus port on Sunday morning. Police and coastguard officials blocked their way. 

According to state media ERT, the refugees and migrants returned to the streets after seeing the heavy blockage from the police.

With the instruction of Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, security forces on Aug. 7 conducted their first inspection targeting beggars in the city, which resulted in the imposition of fines on over 170 individuals.

Even though Milan Krajniak, the minister for labour, social affairs and family, recently vowed to compile a proposal to aid approximately 50,000 people in need who have been unable to cover their expenses due to high levels of inflation, Karova and her colleagues are afraid that some of the most vulnerable homeless people will not be able to benefit from the aid.

Alexandra Kárová

Athens Municipality has started to distribute backpacks filled with basic essentials for the winter to homeless people in the city.

On Thursday evening, street work teams distributed backpacks to homeless people, each of which contained sleeping bags, blankets, jackets, water resistant trousers, thermos flasks, flashlights and whistles.