Brazilian Cities Strengthen Local Policies to Support Homeless Populations
Municipal initiatives across Brazil are advancing rights-based policies to support homeless populations, including practical services and calls for inclusive dialogue.
- • PopRuaJud committee provided over 150 direct services to the homeless in Goiás region between 2024-2025.
- • Initiatives included voter registration, legal assistance, training, and clothing donation campaigns.
- • In Aracaju, councilor Iran Barbosa condemned forced homeless removals and advocated for rights-aligned municipal policies.
- • Calls were made for a detailed census and inclusive meetings to address homelessness comprehensively.
Key details
Recent local initiatives in Brazil demonstrate a focused effort on addressing homelessness through civic engagement and policy adherence. The Local Committee of the PopRuaJud Policy released a report highlighting over 150 services provided between 2024 and 2025 in Goiânia, Anápolis, and Aparecida de Goiânia. These services included electoral registration and documentation assistance, achieved through citizenship mutirões and itinerant actions, aiming to guarantee justice access and human dignity for homeless people. The committee also facilitated training and awareness lectures alongside a clothing donation campaign that collected garments for local homeless organizations.
Meanwhile, in Aracaju, councilor Iran Barbosa of the Psol party criticized the municipal government's forced removal of homeless individuals from a downtown site. Referencing the 2025 census which recorded 623 homeless people in the city, Barbosa urged compliance with national policies prohibiting such removals, enforced by the Supreme Federal Court’s ADPF 976 decision. He called for an expanded municipal discussion including representatives from homeless communities, civil society, and government agencies. Barbosa emphasized the importance of accurately assessing homeless demographics, shelter availability, food provision, and safety concerns, framing these as mandatory measures rather than suggestions.
These developments across different Brazilian cities underscore a growing municipal focus on inclusive, rights-based approaches to homelessness, aligning with national judicial policies and emphasizing community participation and dignity.
This article was translated and synthesized from Brazilian sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
