“The majority of homeless people in Madeira are in Funchal and Câmara de Lobos,” said the President of the Association of Municipalities of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (AMRAM), Ricardo Nascimento, indicating that homelessness does not affect the remaining nine municipalities of the archipelago. However, he later said that:
“We know that the largest number of cases are concentrated in Funchal and Câmara de Lobos, but that does not prevent any other municipality from having one or two cases. There are always “sporadic situations.”
While speaking at the Health and Social Affairs Committee of the regional parliament, within the scope of a hearing demanded by the PCP (Portuguese Communist Party) on the implications and effectiveness of the Regional Plan for the Integration of Homeless People (PRIPSSA 2018-2022), in the face of the pandemic.
PRIPSSA groups 22 public and private institutions, including the Association of Municipalities, under the coordination of the Social Security Institute, which has established 58 measures to help homeless people to feel more integrated within society. The development of the plan was, however, affected by the pandemic, and saw an increase in the number of homeless people, particularly in Funchal and Câmara de Lobos, as well as other municipalities located along the south-coast of the island.
Ricardo Nascimento, who is also the Mayor of Ribeira Brava, clarified that the AMRAM budget does not include any funds for eventual projects to support the homeless population, so the costs of interventions in this area must be borne by individual municipalities.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
