The event will bring together experts to discuss one of the "most pressing social challenges of our time."
The Braga Branch of the Portuguese Red Cross will host a seminar on May 8 titled “People, Homes, and Humanity: A Look at the Reality of Homelessness,” bringing together national and international experts to discuss one of today’s most pressing social challenges.
The event, which will take place in the Aula Magna at the Portuguese Catholic University in Braga, marks International Red Cross Day and aims to “promote a structured discussion on the rising number of homeless people in Portugal and Europe, emphasizing the need for more effective, coordinated, and sustainable responses.”
“In Portugal, the reality facing people experiencing homelessness continues to grow and become increasingly complex. According to the most recent data available, from 2024, 14,476 people were identified as being in this situation, representing a 10% increase from the previous year. More than 65% live on the streets, exposed daily to extreme conditions, while the rest rely on temporary and unstable solutions. This phenomenon is now present in 67% of the country’s municipalities, reflecting a widespread geographic distribution, but with a strong concentration in metropolitan areas. Beyond the numbers, the data reveal a troubling pattern: most of these people face prolonged situations of exclusion, with 36% having been homeless for more than 10 years, and with structural causes such as unemployment, job insecurity, and the lack of family support playing a central role. “Also noteworthy is the significant growth in the female population, which increased by 25% in just one year, highlighting specific and less visible vulnerabilities,” notes the Braga branch of the Portuguese Red Cross.
This scenario underscores “the urgency of an integrated, sustained, and humane response capable of addressing not only emergencies but also prevention and social reintegration.”
The seminar will feature Kinga Albert from the Red Cross EU Office, who will provide a European perspective; Cidália Craveiro from ENIPSSA, who will focus on the national context; and Jussi Lehtonen from No Fixed Abode (NGO), an expert on the implementation of the Housing First model in Finland. The panel will also include José Ornelas and Dr. Teresa Duarte from AEIPS, leading experts in interventions in this field in Portugal.
The program includes various sessions of analysis and discussion, ranging from an overview of the situation at the European, national, and local levels to the presentation of intervention models and best practices in the field.
Participation is free, but subject to prior registration and space availability. Registration and further information will be available through the digital channels of the Portuguese Red Cross – Braga Branch.
