Music and a cardboard house for those who have died in the street

BarcelonaA remembrance for Mouad, Evgenio, Josep Maria, and Brigitte. These are some of the names of the 69 homeless people who have died in the last year in Barcelona, and whom social organizations honored with a moving ceremony in front of the cathedral, as they do every year around All Saints' Day. More than 600 homeless people—who lived on the streets, in boarding houses, or in other social services, all forms of homelessness—have died in the city of Barcelona since 2016.

In the tribute, led by the Arrels Foundation, the heart of the Liceu Conservatory, and the reading one by one of the names of the 69 deceased, such as that of Bakary, a 34-year-old with a chronic illness, died in a shop in Ciutadella Park in January; Walter, a 31-year-old marble worker who died in one of the Arrels apartments, or Miguel Ángel, who is remembered for his perpetual good humor. Two out of every ten deaths are womenbecause for them the street is the last resort.

For all of them there has been a pair of shoes and a small cardboard house, to emphasize the importance of housing to begin to have a decent life —a resource none of the deceased had—. For Raíces, the act is a silent cry for dignity, memory, and the right to live under a roof. During this month, the organization has once again hung the memorial plaques for deceased homeless people, who had been users at the Raval day center or were monitored by street educators.

One in three homeless people who died were living on the streets, and on average, they died before the age of 60, an age at which people rarely die in a city like Barcelona. In fact, life expectancy on the streets is 25 years less than for the general population. "The streets kill," is a common refrain from the social organizations that support these individuals, who often suffer from physical illnesses, mental disorders, addictions, or family abandonment. Raíces keeps alive the Remembrance of the deceased through their websitewhere the names are compiled.

In the latest count organized by Arrels, 1,500 people were found sleeping on the streets of Barcelona. Previous surveys indicate that half arrive in the city hoping to improve their living conditions, but lack of documentation, personal circumstances, or bad luck lead them to become homeless. Furthermore, one in four finds themselves on the streets after losing their home due to being unable to pay their mortgage or rent.