|
The phenomenon of homelessness is a less studied field in Romania and the few studies carried out focus mainly on Bucharest. Our study aims to present the situation of homeless people from Cluj-Napoca, as they experience it. According to our results, their profile looks as follows: trade school graduate middle aged divorced man, homeless for over 6 years. Although their vast majority have at least one qualification (85%), only an insignificant part are actually employed (3.3%). This does not mean that their relationship to work is completely interrupted, as 37% declare that they perform seasonal work. Collecting recyclable waste and bread crusts may also be considered work and in order to receive social welfare they also have to perform community service. One of the impediments that stand in the way of their employment is their precarious health. One in two persons has medical issues (53%). The majority had this pre-existing condition before becoming homeless which had aggravated afterwards. It should be noticed that, besides losing their homes, most of the subjects of our study have also lost their families, separation from their families being most of the time preceded by conflict. Interpersonal relationships are marked by lack of trust, although the majority of these persons keep in touch to a certain degree with their relatives and 63% have also friends. Two in three persons are not able to name even one person who could help them when in need or someone whose opinion they would count on (66% and 64%, respectively). Homeless people who live in shelters have better resources than those living in the streets: a greater proportion of them have a stable income and implicitly access to medical services, possibilities to undertake action in order to protect their health and they are more likely to maintain trustful relationships, primarily with social service professionals. Homeless people living in the streets receive help mostly under the form of donations, but they benefit from long time support, social services so necessary in order to facilitate minimum living conditions and social reintegration to a lesser extent. Our result confirm that the phenomenon of homeless people is not only defined by the lack of a housing space, but also by precarious health, weak social relationships, loneliness, lack of trust in other people and exposure to abuses among others.
Keywords: homeless people, resources, cause and effect, social services
|
|