The Regional Secretary for Social Solidarity announced on Friday that the Government of the Azores will move forward with the construction of a temporary and emergency shelter for the homeless, an initiative to be carried out in partnership Cáritas Association - São Miguel and Novo Dia Association.
 
Piedade Lalanda stressed that this investment aims to support "the occupation and rehabilitation of people as well as of their skills." The government official added that the centre will also operate as an emergency shelter for men and women, based on the "Drop In" shelter model, and as a temporary shelter for men.

The future premises will be built on the grounds of the current facilities of Cáritas shelter on Rua Pintor Domingos Rebelo, Ponta Delgada. This shelter is designed to accommodate homeless people on São Miguel and "increase the current response capacity" of this type of social infrastructures.

The Regional Secretary spoke to journalists after visiting the premises of Cáritas homeless shelter, where an agreement was signed between the entities involved.

"The structure of an emergency shelter is flexible and allows the accommodation of homeless people at a difficult time of their lives," said Piedade Lalanda. According to her, the fact that we are living in difficult times is particularly harsh on "the most vulnerable, who, sometimes, seek the streets as a refuge for their situation of instability and fragility."

For the Regional Secretary, the existence of people living on the streets "is no reason" to neglect them. In fact, "the street cannot become their home, but a temporary situation in their lives."

"No one has to feel discriminated for being homeless," said the government official.

With these structures, the Regional Government aims to promote synergies between organisations, said Lalanda Piedade, who stressed the "importance of making the best use of our resources so that social support does not turn into a benefits culture."

In this regard, the Regional Secretary defended the need to "promote the autonomy of homeless people and their ability to get their lives back," adding that "this is the true social policy."

"Making people totally dependable on support is not the best way to fight social inequality and, in this particular case, the problem of homelessness," said Piedade Lalanda.

The Cáritas temporary and emergency shelter and Novo Dia Association currently accommodate fifty people.