Esquerra Republicana joins the legislative initiative for an effective instrument to combat the extreme vulnerability and social exclusion of homelessness

The Esquerra Republicana group, together with other parliamentary parties and several social organizations proposing the legislation, today presented a bill seeking to curb homelessness, and explained its endorsement and introduction at a press conference in Parliament. Regarding the civic organizations, Esquerra Member of Parliament Maria Jesús Viña added “We thank them for the work they are doing in the street.”

The bill, which is now beginning its passage through Parliament, aims to provide legal cover for those who have no home and thus live in the open or spend nights in boarding houses, hostels, lodgings, social insertion housing or in other comparable accommodation.

Homelessness has lately been aggravated by the economic crisis, the exponential growth of social inequalities, and Covid-19. That is why on Tuesday, this step forward was taken by forming a united front in the Catalan chamber to support the initiative by the organizations that “have contributed to managing this situation and have established appropriate measures and protocols. Today, by endorsing and introducing this bill, we will go one step further, hand in hand with the political groups and the organizations to work towards a common goal,” said Maria Jesús Viña.

We will go one step further, hand in hand with the political groups and the organizations to work towards a common goal

Maria Jesús Viña MP for Esquerra Republicana

The purpose of the draft bill is to put an end to the situation of those sleeping in the streets in the towns and cities of Catalonia, the recognition of rights, and the provision of services that will guarantee a dignified standard of living and decent homes for them. It is also meant to contribute to overcoming stereotypes that negatively affect the social perception of those people and to end the discrimination they suffer. In addition, it is very important that the gender perspective regarding the needs of the homeless is addressed.

The parliamentary groups introducing the draft also provide for the law to be applicable to both Catalonia’s Generalitat government and the local administrations, and regulations for sanctions are provided from the start.

During passage through Parliament, which will begin now, experts will be called in order to include improvements. “We are committed to working on the bill throughout the passage so as to make all the necessary contributions, to produce an effective instrument to deal with this extreme form of vulnerability and social exclusion,” said Maria Jesús Viña, “because the goal should not be to manage homelessness but to eradicate it,” she concluded.