Chile confronts a homelessness crisis, a first for one of South America's richest countries
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Chile is facing a homelessness crisis, with the rate of homelessness in the country increasing by more than 30% over the last four years. The pandemic-induced recession, housing crunch, and immigration influx have contributed to the rise in homelessness. The government has registered 21,126 homeless people in 2024, compared to 15,435 in 2020, but social workers estimate the real count to be around 40,000. The government has announced that it will include homeless people in its national census for the first time, which is expected to lead to the implementation of more effective social policies. The homelessness crisis has pushed the problem up on the agenda, with police tearing down encampments and municipal workers removing rough sleepers from public spaces. The crisis has also seen a demographic shift in the homeless population, with more women and children on the streets due to the affordable housing crunch. The pandemic lockdowns and economic hardships have exacerbated the housing crisis, with housing prices jumping 70% over the last decade. The rise in homelessness is also attributed to the increase in migrants, both registered and illegal, who have been drawn to Chile by its reputation as a successful economy. Aid groups are pressuring the government to address the crisis, as there are currently fewer than 200 homeless shelters nationwide, barely enough to accommodate 13% of the homeless population. President Gabriel Boric has vowed to build 260,000 new government-sponsored houses during his four-year term to address the issue.
#Chile #HomelessnessCrisis #HousingCrunch #ImmigrationInflux #GovernmentPolicies #DemographicShift #AffordableHousing #Migrants #AidGroups #PresidentGabrielBoric
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-07-14/chileans-confront-a-homelessness-crisis-a-first-for-one-of-south-americas-richest-countries
Los Angeles Times /
npub1ka…ct50x
2024-07-14 20:00:53
Author Public Key
npub1kat3x50s05kl9v0lqxq5qsl0znf0eu2rwyeq4xyplj80ga740k9q9ct50xPublished at
2024-07-14 20:00:53Event JSON
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"content": "Chile confronts a homelessness crisis, a first for one of South America's richest countries\n==========\n\nChile is facing a homelessness crisis, with the rate of homelessness in the country increasing by more than 30% over the last four years. The pandemic-induced recession, housing crunch, and immigration influx have contributed to the rise in homelessness. The government has registered 21,126 homeless people in 2024, compared to 15,435 in 2020, but social workers estimate the real count to be around 40,000. The government has announced that it will include homeless people in its national census for the first time, which is expected to lead to the implementation of more effective social policies. The homelessness crisis has pushed the problem up on the agenda, with police tearing down encampments and municipal workers removing rough sleepers from public spaces. The crisis has also seen a demographic shift in the homeless population, with more women and children on the streets due to the affordable housing crunch. The pandemic lockdowns and economic hardships have exacerbated the housing crisis, with housing prices jumping 70% over the last decade. The rise in homelessness is also attributed to the increase in migrants, both registered and illegal, who have been drawn to Chile by its reputation as a successful economy. Aid groups are pressuring the government to address the crisis, as there are currently fewer than 200 homeless shelters nationwide, barely enough to accommodate 13% of the homeless population. President Gabriel Boric has vowed to build 260,000 new government-sponsored houses during his four-year term to address the issue.\n\n#Chile #HomelessnessCrisis #HousingCrunch #ImmigrationInflux #GovernmentPolicies #DemographicShift #AffordableHousing #Migrants #AidGroups #PresidentGabrielBoric\n\nhttps://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-07-14/chileans-confront-a-homelessness-crisis-a-first-for-one-of-south-americas-richest-countries",
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