Homeless to be registered

THE Palma City Council will allow homeless people in the city to register with the town hall.

The Palma City Council is modifying regulation so that people without a home can register with the municipality and be able to receive certain benefits which they do not currently have, including access to social services. 

Up until now, it has been obligatory to provide a physical address to be able to register.  The proposed measure, which has already been launched in Barcelona and other cities, follows a report from Social Services.

Vicenç Rodrigo from the Public Defender’s Office made the announcement at the end of June. Vicenç had previously alerted officials of the presence of people living on the streets in the Bisbe Berenguer de Palou plaza.

The Public Defender’s Office contacted Social Services following complaints by residents about the situation, and discovered that the municipality could do nothing since the people in question were not registered with the city. 

More than 300 people have been counted living on the streets of Palma.