The correlation between homelessness and homeless population in the context of the pandemic: an analysis of the social housing lease program of Araraquara, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

With the outbreak and advance of the pandemic, a serious humanitarian crisis was installed worldwide, with economic, political, social and health impacts, which exposed and aggravated contradictions inherent to the capitalist productive structure. In Brazil, this crisis mainly affects populations in vulnerable situations, revealing social and socio-spatial inequalities. The homeless population, in addition to the risks inherent to the disease, is faced with the adoption of measures with aspects that are far from the conditions provided for their reality, as they do not have housing to carry out social isolation and personal hygiene, nor are they able to purchase equipment of individual protection. Knowing that the most effective measures to mitigate the disease are related to urban mobility, and those who use residences as a form of social isolation, we understand that housing policies should receive better attention from the public authorities, in order to provide conditions for this population to comply with the recommended measures. In view of this scenario, the aim of this study was to analyze and evaluate the Social Housing Lease Program in the city of Araraquara, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, seeking to show its advances and challenges, especially with regard to the possibility of including the homeless population. The Program, on the one hand, has already included the homeless population in the description of the law, guaranteeing them the same opportunities as other citizens, but, on the other hand, it still depends on the construction of specific protocols to ensure equity, which will adapt the opportunities, making them fair and respecting the specificities of this public.