His name was Juan and he was 49 years old: a habitual homeless person in the Gràcia neighborhood dies.

BarcelonaA piece of cardboard, white blankets, and a candle extinguished by the wind and rain remain in front of a bank branch in downtown Barcelona, ​​located right at the intersection of Via Augusta and Travessera de Gràcia. Until this Wednesday, Juan, a homeless man, rested every day. He was 49 years old and, according to people who knew him, had been sleeping on the streets for several years. According to ARA, Juan died Wednesday afternoon in these covered basements. The cause of death was cardiorespiratory arrest, and sources familiar with his situation indicate that he was in poor health, particularly his respiratory system. It was a cold and rainy day in Barcelona.

Some people who knew him say he was a quiet man who didn't ask for anything: "He was just grateful for what was given to him." He was well known in the Gràcia neighborhood, and as a result, several neighbors regularly stopped by to give him food or hot coffee. This Wednesday at noon, according to neighborhood sources, he had already warned a passerby that he wasn't feeling well. A short while later, a man who regularly visited him visited him, but it was too late. A few minutes later, the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police), the Barcelona City Police, and members of the Emergency Medical System (SEM) arrived at the scene and certified Juan's death. They removed the white blankets and covered him with a thermal blanket.

Juan was being monitored by the Arrels Foundation's street team, according to sources from the organization. He had also occasionally gone to the open center to shower. They met Arrels in 2021. People who knew him say things got complicated, and he ended up on the streets when his mother died.

Barcelona City Council "deeply" regrets his transfer. Juan was assisted by various social services between 2022 and 2024. During this time, according to municipal sources, he was linked to various improvement plans and received some benefits. He also used day care services for homeless people, such as food and personal hygiene centers. The same sources report that last October he was last assisted by the Social Care Service for Homelessness in Public Spaces.

Half a thousand deaths in a decade

The life expectancy of the homeless community is thirty years lower than that of the city of Barcelona. In the last decade, half a thousand homeless people have died on the streets of Barcelona. Now, in the space where Juan used to sleep, only the cardboard and blankets he used remain, along with a candle he left for someone who knew him to cherish in his memory.