This is an innovative project to raise public awareness about the reality of people experiencing housing difficulties. The Forum's main goal is to raise awareness of homelessness and understand its problems firsthand, with the aim of creating bridges of dialogue and empathy through participation.
The mayor of Cieza, Tomás Rubio, together with the councilor Gertrudis Julia Villa, responsible for the area of Social Policies, has officially presented 'FORUM: Another look at homelessness. This project, funded by the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan of the Ministry of Social Rights and the 2030 Agenda, stands out for its response to the need for modernization, strengthening, and transformation of social services in Spain.
This proposal developed by Social Welfare professionals began in June 2022, as clarified María José Aroca, director of the Social Welfare Center, “is particularly interesting because it highlights the importance of understanding and generating critical thinking through group work as a multiplying effect for understanding very complex life stories, as well as for creating bonds and cohesion in human relationships.”
In addition to group work, leisure and free time activities are carried out to address the social reconnection needs of project participants.
Another line of action is to raise public awareness and raise awareness, generating knowledge about the reality of this problem. To this end, a program of activities, community engagements, and dynamics is planned for October 10th, World Homeless Day, to build on those already underway.
Tomás Rubio noted that "we at the City Council must continue supporting projects like this one, as it is essential to prioritize care for people with disabilities and vulnerable people. In this case, the project is aimed at people who are having serious problems finding a home that meets the minimum standards they need to live in with a minimum quality of life and in minimally acceptable conditions."
For her part, Gertrudis Juliá stated that, “If we want to address problematic situations of this type, we must begin raising awareness among the general population about the existence of these cases and the housing problems faced by certain individuals. Therefore, the project in Cieza, with a budget of €32,000, is aimed at informing and raising awareness. Furthermore, the goal is to foster relationships with people facing this difficulty and give a voice to this group. To this end, group work is carried out through free-time and leisure activities.”