Another homeless person dies in Badalona, the fourth in two months

A second homeless person died this week in Badalona, ​​this time in a park. Until now, their death had not been publicly reported, and it occurred the day before the death of another homeless person, Jordi, which the city council led by Xavier García Albiol did announce on its social media. Since the beginning of the year, Four people sleeping on the street have lost their lives in the cityThe Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) report that they located the body of a homeless person on Tuesday morning in the Morera petanque field. Badalona Acull (a shelter for people living on the streets) did not know him and had not worked with him, although the organization asks: "How many deaths on the streets go unreported?" They ask this question after the death was not initially made public. The organization points out that "the streets kill," as they are a hostile environment where it is easy to get sick and difficult to receive care. This is all compounded by the mental health problems that come with living in such conditions. Municipal sources state that they were unaware of the transfer until this Thursday. They add that the city council had not been monitoring his case, but the same sources do specify that he was a Ukrainian man with a criminal record. "This has never happened before."

"Four homeless people have never died in two months before," lamented Badalona Acull. On Wednesday, the body of Jordi, a local man known for his work as a butcher, was also found in a park. Deputy Mayor Eva Guillen explained that he was known to social services and a support plan had been initiated, including social assistance and weekly visits. She stated that he had also been offered temporary accommodation, which he had declined. Badalona Acull added that there are currently no resources in Badalona to accommodate the homeless, despite offers from the City Council. "There is neither a shelter nor an emergency center, essential things in a city of 200,000 inhabitants," they lamented.The Can Bofí Vell hostel, which was closed by the Albiol government in 2024It was the epicenter of a series of altercations in late December, fueled by the mayor himself, as several expelled students from the former B9 high school wanted to take refuge there because they had no residential alternative.