Daily life in homeless shelters and the importance of support structures for vulnerable populations
On 31 October 2024 Sotiria Kyriakidou and Cristina Temenos in collaboration with the Municipality of Athens, Greece, co-organised an event as part of the UKRI funded Future Leaders Fellowship,
The event "Everyday Life in Homeless Shelters for Drug Users -The Importance of Support Services for Vulnerable Populations" took place at the Melina Mercouri Cultural Centre in Athens and was supported by four key Greek key organizations: the Municipality of Athens, KYADA (Center for Homeless Reception and Solidarity), OKANA (National Organization Against Drugs), and KETHEA (Greek Therapy Centre for Dependent Individuals), which work together to address homelessness and drug use in Athens. The focus of the event was to highlight the challenges faced by homeless individuals, those living in shelters, particularly in relation to substance use, social reintegration, and their subsequent trajectory. Over 60 policymakers, professionals, members of the general public, and shelter residents were in attendance.
青瓜视频淢yAthens青瓜视频�, a homeless shelter for active substance users in the city centre of Athens, provides a unique holistic model for integrated supportive housing and healthcare in Greece, with the Municipality of Athens, KYADA, OKANA, and KETHEA working together to ensure the shelter's success. a Reader in Human Geography and co-lead for the poverty and deprivation research platform noted: 青瓜视频淢yAthens is the first of its kind in Greece, and it provides an important integrated model of care for people who have, traditionally, been hard to reach." Drawing on the ongoing research by , discussions ranged across the role of homeless shelters and support structures, as well as the social that often accompanies the individuals who make use of these centres.
Sotiria Kyriakidou, PhD researcher on the explained, 青瓜视频淗omeless shelters should not just be places that provide temporary accommodation. The people residing in these spaces need more than just a bed to spend the night青瓜视频攖hey need opportunities to rebuild their self-esteem and develop independent living skills. Therefore, I would like to emphasize how important it is to have shelters that target specific population groups and focus on their needs, so that individuals feel they belong to a supportive and appropriately designed environment."
It is really inspiring to see the way in which MyAthens is tackling the healthcare challenges of those using shelters. By addressing health needs for these individuals, we are seeing pathways open up to tackle the wider inequalities and challenges that homeless people face on a daily basis.
Dr Cristina Temenos is investigating the ways in which public health systems across Europe and Latin America are responding to challenging economic and social change.
In an era of polycrisis, cities are experiencing increased pressures to address social and economic crises. These intersecting crises are exponentially increasing health inequalities. Our research is looking at how cities are innovating around those challenges and how local interventions might be scaled up to address health inequalities globally.
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