Faro City Council has made 20 beds available at the Municipal Swimming Pools to accommodate homeless people and provide temporary assistance during the coldest period of the year..
This is a “concerted action” with the Municipal Civil Protection Service, announces the council, with the support of social assistance organisations, aimed at responding “to the worsening weather conditions affecting the most vulnerable population.”
The municipality points out in a statement that this response was activated on December 30, “taking into account the worsening weather conditions”, and will remain in place until at least January 16.
The beds are installed in the pool pavilion, and the homeless can have access to “overnight support, referral for food support, adequate clothing and personal hygiene.”
People receiving this support can also shower and maintain their personal hygiene in the changing rooms at the Penha Sports Complex football field, from Monday to Friday, between 11am and 2pm.
Said the statement, this is all to ensure that the most vulnerable members of the community can have access to “a minimum of social comfort during this period of intense cold” and “protect [their] health and well-being.”
The municipality also points out that the initiative “reinforces the local authority’s commitment” to “public policies of inclusion and human dignity”.
Source: LUSA
