"It is very difficult to know that twenty-five people are sleeping less than 100 meters from your home," she acknowledged. The latest count, carried out on Tuesday night, put the number of people sleeping on the streets of the Aragonese capital at 382, 43% more than last year.
The young woman was part of the operation organized by Zaragoza City Council in collaboration with the Red Cross. Around 350 volunteers covered 51 areas of the city from Tuesday night into Wednesday to find out how many people sleep on the streets and learn more about their circumstances. Carlota was among them, experiencing the night by listening firsthand to people who spend the night outdoors.
One of the encounters that affected her most was with young people who had lived in care centers for minors and ended up sleeping under a bridge. During the rounds, she also heard from people who face obstacles to registering as residents, obtaining documentation, accessing employment or renting a room. Different situations that, in many cases, ultimately prevent them from leaving the streets.
The initiative is organized by Zaragoza City Council. Photo: Aragón Press
LISTENING TO PEOPLE WHO SLEEP ON THE STREETS
Carlota tried to make each conversation as personal as possible. "I sat down at their level," she explained about the way she addressed the people she met. It was a simple gesture intended to make them feel comfortable during the questions for the count and allow them to describe their situation without feeling they were being looked down on.
The experience also had a particularly personal dimension. In San Bruno Square, near where she lives and where her family has a garage, she became aware of how close homelessness is to her own daily life. The sight of dozens of people sleeping so close to her usual surroundings made her see differently a place she has known since childhood.
"It is a reality we do not keep in mind," reflects the student, after seeing how the people sleeping on the streets have very different and completely valid stories behind them. Taking part in the count allowed her to learn some of those stories and see that difficulties accessing housing or finding work can prolong situations of exclusion. "Homeless people are the most forgotten," insists María, who is very aware of a "consumerist and increasingly individualistic" society that often forgets something as simple as helping others.
The latest count of homeless people carried out by Zaragoza City Council and the Red Cross reveals a significant increase in the number of people in this situation in the city. During last Tuesday night, volunteers counted a total of 382 people sleeping on the streets of the Aragonese capital, 116 more than in last year’s count, when the figure stood at 266.
Carlota, a Red Cross volunteer, last Tuesday in San Bruno Square. Photo: Aragón Press
According to the study, the profile remains similar to that recorded in previous counts, with 35 women (11%) and 285 men (89%) living in this situation. As for nationality, 70% are foreigners (78 Spanish and 173 foreign nationals). The Maghreb accounts for 40% of nationalities, followed by sub-Saharan Africa (14%), the rest of Europe (9%) and Latin America (3%).
