Homeless man found dead in Badalona during cold snap had rejected social services aid

A homeless person found dead in a car park in the city of Badalona, north of Barcelona, had previously rejected the support of local social services.

Services had gotten in touch with the man several months before he was found deceased on Tuesday. The man had refused their support, officials announced on Wednesday.

The 50-year-old man was found at 2 pm in a car park at Torres i Bages Street.

This comes just weeks after the eviction of over 100 homeless people from the old B9 high school. Many of those went on to spend the night on the streets, while social groups and volunteers took care of some more.

Despite milder temperatures expected in the coming days, officials have said they will keep 'Operation Cold' in place at the La Colina sports centre to provide temporary accommodation for homeless people.

Officials say the service will remain in place despite not being compulsory, as temperatures have surpassed the 2ºC threshold.

Opposition parties, however, claim the shelter service is a sham, saying the ruling People's Party is not focusing enough on helping those in need. On the first night of the operation, no one spent the night at the sports centre, while the figures rose to only three people on Monday night and eight on Tuesday.

Homeless person in Barcelona

A 57-year-old man was found dead in Barcelona's Barceloneta neighborhood on Tuesday night.

The body was found at 11 pm at the Poeta Boscà Square at 11 pm, and the Arrels foundation identified him as Eusebio.

According to the organization, five homeless people have died in Barcelona during the last five weeks because of the cold weather.

300 people taken care of

The Red Cross has taken care of 291 homeless people since Saturday, when temperatures started to drop.

Out of the 28 women and 263 men treated, one-third were temporarily housed at local hostels.

A total of 72 volunteers helped the Red Cross and the emergency services, offering people blankets, warm beverages, and sleeping bags.

Red Cross units were deployed around Barcelona, Molins de Rei, El Prat de Llobregat, Granollers, Mataró, Sabadell, Sant Joan Despí, Badalona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Ripollet, Montcada i Reixac, Sitges, Berga, Viladecans, Mont-roig del Camp, Calafell, Cunit, Palafrugell, L'Escala, and Girona.