On Tuesday, the same day that the inclusive residential center Hort de la Vila, which specializes in the care of people who have lived in low-rises, celebrated its tenth anniversary, Minerva Ferreras closed her bags and left the room that has been their home for the last year to start a new stage in a shared flat. Minerva is part of the group of 2,000 citizens who have come to this residence in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi over the last decade to take care of themselves and recover from the streets.

The one in Hort de la Vila, which has 116 places and a waiting list of 15 people, is one of the facilities of Sant Joan de Déu Serveis Socials (SJDSS) that houses and accompanies homeless men and women. 38% have difficulties due to mental health disorders, 19% have some degree of disability and 37% have an irregular administrative situation. It should be remembered that, according to the latest figures from the Arrels foundation, from 2022, the total number of homeless people in Barcelona is around 5,000, among the 1,231 who sleep on the streets, those who use public or private resources, such as Minerva , and those that subsist in shack settlements.

The 57-year-old Minerva has tried to be very busy in recent months, she has signed up for several courses “to not think too much” and overcome the episodes of anxiety. He explains that he has not gotten over and does not think he will get over the loss of his partner in a traffic accident. “I had a beautiful life and a job until she died. I started drinking alcohol day and night and ended up on the street, sleeping in Turó de la Peira park. He drank a lot, like everyone who was in the same situation. I had no desire to live. But the covid pandemic came, the Social Services came and took us to an accommodation near the Arc de Triomf, then I was referred to la Llavor, the residence for women only, and then to Hort de the Villa”, he explains.

During his stay in this facility arranged with Barcelona City Council, they helped him process the guaranteed citizenship income (RGC), which he started collecting in September. The approximately 700 euros he earns monthly allows him to pay the 182 euros of social rent for the home he has been sharing since Tuesday with two other women, in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat.

Unlike other facilities managed by SJDSS, such as the one in Creu dels Molers, focused on preparing its residents for incorporation into the world of work, in the case of Hort de la Vila the priority “is to accompany them in their recovery process, that they stabilize their situation, take care of themselves and achieve their economic autonomy. For those who have no income, we help them process the RGC, non-contributory pensions or other benefits”, explains its director, Francesc Pous.

Most of those who leave each year access some kind of housing or a center specializing in addictions or mental health. Less than 5% return to the streets. Pous estimates that around 25% get a job.

The SJDSS staff continues to maintain contact with the people who leave Hort de la Vila. Minerva is excited about her new home, although she repeats that her anxiety attacks scare her. His antidotes are walks and art, he likes painting and manual activities. “I hope I don’t get lost again”, he whispers.

In 1991 she left her large family in the Dominican Republic, whom she only saw again in 1995. “My parents preferred that I leave because I am a lesbian and I thought that in Barcelona I could live my life, have more freedom. In Santo Domingo I was a physical education teacher in a school and here I have taken care of the elderly and children and I have been an intern in different homes”, she explains.

Awaiting new counts, the feeling of the organizations that serve homeless citizens is that homelessness is growing. Resources increase and are always full. Hort de la Vila is immersed in expansion works. The first phase will be completed at the end of 2024 with the commissioning of 27 apartments.