Ombudsman warns 6,700 people are living on the streets in Catalonia

At least 6,724 people are living on the streets in Catalonia, according to new figures from the Catalan Ombudsman.

The data comes from a questionnaire sent to 84 municipalities, including all those in the Barcelona metropolitan area and all towns in Catalonia with more than 20,000 residents.

The Ombudsman, Esther Giménez-Salinas, called for a national pact on homelessness after a roundtable meeting with members of the Catalan government, mayors and social organisations.

Asked about the decision to require boarding passes to enter Barcelona Airport, Catalonia's Minister of Social Rights, Mònica Martínez Bravo, said she disagrees with the measure.

The mayor of El Prat de Llobregat, Alba Bou, went further, saying it "demeans people without a home." Bou expressed her hope that Aena, the airport management company, will reverse their decision.

The Ombudsman received responses from 77 of the 84 municipalities, representing a combined population of 5,619,966.

Among them, 6,724 people (0.12%) are experiencing homelessness: 4,290 living rough individually and 2,434 living in encampments.

Half of the municipalities surveyed (52%) say they have encampments within their boundaries, accounting for 409 in total.

According to the Ombudsman’s data, 87% of people experiencing homelessness are men, while 12% are women.

The majority are in their 30s and 40s, with 20% aged 31–40 and 23% aged 41–50. Just over half (53%, or 3,556 people) are in contact with social services.

36% of municipalities offer residential places for people experiencing homelessness, rising to 44% in exceptional circumstances.

61% provide hygiene services, 39% run communal dining services, and 54% offer clothing services.

On Wednesday, the Barcelona-based Arrels Foundation counted 1,982 people sleeping on the streets after a count conducted during the night of December 3.