The issue of homelessness in Lisbon has reached critical levels, as highlighted by Pedro Antunes, the primary petitioner advocating for a review of the municipal plan for the city’s homeless population. Antunes, who leads a petition signed by residents, workers, and voters of Beato with nearly 1,000 signatures, emphasized the existence of numerous homeless individuals living outside of official shelters during a visit to the Xabregas neighborhood.
In Xabregas, just behind office buildings and mere meters from the bustling Rua de Xabregas, makeshift tents and shelters have been set up under outdoor covers. One such refuge contains an assortment of personal belongings, neatly arranged in a small area serving as a bedroom.
In the open air without doors, this makeshift bedroom includes a mattress with blankets, an improvised bedside table, hanging clothes, neatly folded blankets, and travel bags. Several frames are present, including one with an image of Our Lady of Fatima placed atop a fire hose cabinet.
The presence of homeless individuals is evident in Xabregas, where there are four shelters within a one-kilometer radius. People can be seen wandering and shouting, begging for money, or sitting on sidewalks and benches. Substance abuse, ranging from alcohol consumption to drug use and even inhalation of cooking gas, occurs openly.
Local residents and workers express concerns about thefts, disturbances, and litter in the area. “It has become impossible for people in vulnerable situations and those who wish to enjoy public spaces to coexist,” laments Antunes.
Antunes points to the opening of a shelter at the former Manutenção Militar as a turning point, describing it as a “concentration camp” next to Beato’s creative and entrepreneurial hub and the Unicorn Factory. The petition calls for the urgent decentralization of shelter solutions across other parts of the municipality.
The petition also demands increased community policing, cleaning actions, and enhanced public investment in infrastructure. Silvino Correia, the president of Beato Parish Council from the Socialist Party (PS), confirms the “excessive” concentration of homeless people, emphasizing the need for increased community policing and the possible establishment of a local police station.
Located between downtown Lisbon and Parque das Nações, Beato is one of Lisbon’s 24 parishes and is one of the smallest and most underprivileged. The largest homeless shelter in the country, established in 1999, houses around 270 individuals and is set for conversion. Since 1997, the Salvation Army center in Beato has also provided assistance to 75 homeless individuals.
In 2024, Beato opened two additional shelters. The first, in March, at the former Manutenção Militar, accommodates 130 people, following the closure of Santa Bárbara barracks. The second, in December, on Rua do Grilo, houses 90 individuals. A Municipal Unit for Prevention and Autonomy with a capacity for 28 has been established in Bairro Quinta do Ourives since July.
“From a quiet neighborhood with normal life, Xabregas has become a hub of social alarm with a significant concentration of homeless responses,” reiterates Correia.
The parish president advocates for the decentralization of support across Lisbon’s Metropolitan Area to ensure better handling of diverse situations. He also calls for public investment in parish infrastructure to benefit the elderly and promote sports. The creation of the Beato Creative Hub is seen as a “hopeful sign.”
António Lobo, president of Beato Residents and Entrepreneurs Association, shares a similar view on the need to revise homeless response strategies, stressing the necessity of providing activities for these individuals to prevent them from idly roaming streets while waiting for shelter.
Luís Peres, a longtime resident and local assembly member for the CDS-PP, acknowledges concerns over the concentration of homeless people but describes it as “the lesser evil” compared to ignoring this population. He notes that the majority, roughly 80%, do not exhibit “improper behavior.”
Nair Fernandes, a 72-year-old resident, finds the situation unpleasant, with public spaces being “very dirty.” She observes homeless individuals, including young women, engaging in alcohol and drug use, some collapsing on streets requiring emergency services.
“At least someone should be there to manage them,” she suggests, critiquing the choice to open the Manutenção Militar shelter near a primary school and nursery: “They shouldn’t have done that.”
Helena Vieira, a floristry worker in Xabregas for a year, describes the area as “a bit complicated” with thefts and conflicts involving homeless individuals. This creates fear, especially among the elderly.
The Lusa Agency attempted to visit a Beato shelter, but the city council denied access to preserve the privacy of individuals “in circumstances of significant fragility and vulnerability.”
Under the leadership of a PSD/CDS-PP coalition without an absolute majority, Lisbon’s city council has emphasized its municipal plan for the homeless, allocating 70 million euros through 2030. In a recent municipal assembly meeting on April 15th, Mayor Carlos Moedas acknowledged Beato’s challenges and advocated for broader distribution across the city.
“We will attempt this when political conditions allow,” he stated, highlighting Lisbon’s vital role in providing homeless support unparalleled in other Portuguese cities. He noted the presence of 13,000 homeless individuals nationwide, with 5,000 in the Metropolitan Area and 3,378 in the capital.
Moedas mentioned that national accommodation slots total “around 5,000,” with Lisbon contributing “more than 50%” with 2,800 slots through the municipal council and Santa Casa da Misericórdia.
In the same meeting, Human and Social Rights Councillor Sofia Athayde from CDS-PP reported that “23% of homeless people housed in Lisbon are in Beato,” and highlighted initiatives for smaller-scale solutions elsewhere.
