The fight against the coronavirus pandemic is a series of actions on many levels and in many areas. The difficulties relate to everyone - including those who are involved in supporting people struggling with the homelessness crisis on a daily basis.

In 2020, the programme “Overcome homelessness. Assistance Programme for the Homeless” has so far allocated PLN 7 million - PLN 5.5 million for 35 entities in the first competition and PLN 1.5 million for 12 entities in the second - additional - competition, announced in June this year.

These are funds both for prevention of homelessness by conducting prevention activities, activation activities, support for entities in adjusting their institutions providing services for the homeless to the applicable standards, as well as inspiring to implement new solutions in the field of helping the homeless.

Overcome homelessness during the pandemic

- Bearing in mind the need to take increased measures to ensure the safety of the homeless during the pandemic, as well as the awareness of the special situation in which the homeless support system operates today, we decided to announce at the end of September an additional competition under the programme “Overcome homelessness. Assistance Programme for the Homeless” stresses the Minister of Family and Social Policy Marlena Maląg.

PLN 5 million were allocated for the assistance. The Head of the Ministry of Family states that another 32 entities will receive funding of over PLN 3 million - exactly PLN 3,065,678.59.

Financial support for projects in the field of social assistance addressed to the homeless and those threatened by homelessness was granted for implementation:

• MODULE I: PROPHYLAXIS - Objective: Prevention of homelessness by conducting preventive activities - PLN 379,006
• MODULE II: ACTIVATION - Objective: Conducting activation activities addressed to the homeless - PLN 2,686,672.59.

“Streetwork Academy” to help the homeless

“Overcome homelessness. Assistance Programme for the Homeless” is not the only help. The measures also include the “Streetwork Academy” project, carried out by the St. Brother Albert's Aid Society within the framework of the Operational Programme Knowledge Education for Development with the participation of the European Social Fund.

Over 4.2 thousand people in the homelessness crisis were supported in combating or counteracting the effects of the pandemic. The funds allocated for this purpose are PLN 5.45 million.

The forms of support in the project include, among others, monitoring of non-residential places, heating plants and low-threshold isolation facilities, dispensing meals and personal protective equipment, as well as running the Mobile Advice Centre.

From mid-June to the end of September this year, streetworkers all over Poland issued, among others, over 20 thousand masks to the homeless. The remaining masks are issued in the autumn.

Appeal to the Voivodes

In connection with the difficult epidemic situation at the beginning of November, Minister Marlena Maląg appealed to the Voivodes to make special efforts to help the homeless. Detailed guidelines were also prepared for the running of support centres.