Shelters underway for homeless people, complete with care services

Introduction of homeless people shelter with care services as an additional type of facility, the possibility of sheltering a homeless person awaiting placement in a social care home or resignation from the social contract requirement - these are the most important solutions adopted unanimously by the Senate and without amendments to the Act on Social Assistance.

The new type of facility will enable the provision of care services to people who require partial assistance (as opposed to 24-hour care) in fulfilling the needs of everyday life and hygienic care.

Temporary shelter for those awaiting allocation in social welfare homes

The amendment assumes that in particularly justified cases a homeless person, who has been issued a decision on allocation in a social welfare home, will be eligible for a temporary stay in a shelter for homeless people with care services for the time of awaiting placement in a social welfare home, but not longer than for 4 months.

Where has the idea for a change come from?

- The purpose of the regulation is to eliminate the gap in the system of providing assistance to homeless people in the scope of the possibility of obtaining this assistance in the form of caring services - said Elżbieta Bojanowska, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy during the debate in the Senate.

According to current regulations, temporary shelter is granted to homeless persons in 3 categories of care facilities: night shelters, homeless people shelters and warming centres. Those facilities are intended for people able of taking care of themselves, whose health condition is not a threat to health and life of other people staying at the facilities.

- As shown by the experiences of the year 2016, according to the proposed classification, sick people should not really stay at those facilities. And we know that homeless people are often sick. Thus, the amendment to this law addresses this problem and fills this gap - added Deputy Minister Elżbieta Bojanowska.

Who may benefit from those services?

Services in a shelter for homeless people with care services will be provided for homeless people who, due to their age, illness or disability require partial help and care of other people in meeting the necessary life needs, and at the same time do not require services in the area provided by 24-hour care facilities, care and treatment institutions or nursing and care institutions.

In the case of shelters for homeless people with care services, the homeless person will not have to sign a social contract to be placed in this type of facility. This is aimed at eliminating the gap in the scope of providing help to people who, due to their homelessness, are not eligible to receive care services.

The amendment will now be passed on to the President of the Republic of Poland.