On the Other Side: Intergenerational Program | Intersituations – for the knowledge of people experiencing homelessness in Lisbon

In the absence of rigorous data regarding homeless individuals in Lisbon, it became pertinent and urgent to conduct a survey that would allow for the real identification of this entire population. Furthermore, the fact that this phenomenon is not static, but is in constant change, rendered previous reference data obsolete. Thus, the Intergenerations | Intersituations of Exclusion and Social Vulnerability program was born, from the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (SCML), which took place between March and December 2013. The program team sought answers to several questions. Who are these people and how many are those living on the streets? Where do they live and why? What are their support networks? What are their sources of income? What are their health problems? What are their expectations for the future? Their dreams and goals?

In this book, the results of the exhaustive survey conducted by the Intergenerations team are presented and interpreted, as well as those from the two counts carried out in 2013 and 2015, by various teams that simultaneously traversed the entire city of Lisbon. The preparation and development of the work is also narrated, and some homeless individuals are given a voice, sharing their testimonies in the first person.

Authors: João Marrana, Paulo Antunes Ferreira, João Firme, João Gonçalves, Carla Rosa, Intergenerations Team

Year of publication: 2017
Publisher: SCML
ISBN: 9789898712288