“In the space of a year, it will mean more than 100 people be removed from the streets, which is extraordinary”, the coordinator of the National Strategy for the Integration of People in Situations of Homelessness told the Lusa.

The first protocols relating to this response for homeless people in the Algarve were signed about a year ago, creating around 70 beds, said Henrique Joaquim.

The official highlighted that this model, operated by social institutions, with support from local authorities and funding from Social Security, also includes monitoring by technicians.

“There is a tripod here, between training, increasing the number of vacancies and the response from the institutions, which has everything to increase, in a very significant way, the positive results that are already beginning to be seen. My assessment of the Algarve is very good”, he said, adding that he hopes that the economy will improve so that these homeless people can “take advantage of the opportunities that are offered to them”.

The protocols guarantee the existence of responses of this kind in eight councils in the district of Faro: Albufeira, Faro, Lagoa, Lagos, Loulé, Portimão, Tavira and Vila Real de Santo António.