RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – São Paulo’s traditional upper-middle-class neighborhood, Mooca, in the city’s central area, had a significant increase of homeless people in the last two years during the pandemic.
According to the Census of the Homeless Population of the Prefecture of São Paulo, the subprefecture of Mooca was the administrative region that showed the most significant expansion in this aspect. The growth was 170%. In 2019, 1,419 people lived on the streets there, and now there are 2,254.
“This may have happened due to the police interventions in Cracolândia. This population migrated to Mooca, where actions do not occur,” commented André Soler, founder of the non-governmental organization (NGO) SP Invisível, aiming to give visibility to this population and transform society’s view of it.
The Secretary of Assistance and Social Development, Carlos Bezerra Jr., said that it is common for homeless people to concentrate in the most central areas of the city. “This is related to the supply of jobs and services and the ease of movement,” he said in an interview with Metrópoles.
INCREASE THROUGHOUT THE CITY
One census indicator that corroborates Soler’s perception is the growth in the number of concentration points. In 2019, there were 6,816 points. In 2021, the number rose to 12,438, an increase of 82.5%.
In all subdistricts, the increase of individuals living on the streets was higher than 100%. The Sé subdistrict region, known for this scenario, received 973 more people in these conditions.
Other regions that marked a relevant growth were Perus, Vila Maria-Vila Guilherme, and Santana-Tucuruvi, in the North Zone; Penha, Itaquera, Ermelino Matarazzo, São Miguel Paulista, Sapopemba, Guaianases and Itaim Paulista, in the East Zone; and Ipiranga, Vila Mariana, Jabaquara, and M’Boi Mirim, in the Southeast and South Zones.
FAMILIES ON THE STREETS
The number of families on the streets has also increased. In 2019, 20% of those interviewed by the census answered that they had the company of someone they considered a family member. In 2021, this percentage rose to 28.6%.
The number of shacks, called “improvised dwellings” by census takers, also grew by 330%. In 2019, there were 2,051; in 2021, 6,778 were recorded.
“The presence of shacks is directly linked to the number of new homeless people during the pandemic, who still have a very strong sense of home, security, and minimal family composition,” the secretary said.
The number of women on the street rose from 14.8% in 2019 to 16.6% in 2021.
HOUSING FIRST
Based on this data, the City Hall developed the “Programa Reencontro” (“Reunion Program”), which will bring together actions from several departments and has the premise of “housing first”.
There will be 1,600 vacancies in temporary housing, aimed primarily at people who have been living with families and for less than a year on the streets. There will be 3,000 vacancies in permanent housing.
“It is a clear response to the census: 7,540 new homeless people in the last two years, 76.5% of which arrived on the streets less than a year ago,” said the secretary.
In the next two weeks, the City Hall will also offer one thousand more places in hotels. There will also be an increase of 2,900 vacancies in the entire social assistance network, including shelters, long-stay residences for the elderly, inclusive houses, and hostels.
Another front was to restructure the reception system in São Paulo City. According to the secretary, the reception centers with 500 places will no longer be replicated, and the new units will have the capacity to receive a maximum of 200 people.
With information from Metrópole