Homless in Poland
piotr kuzniar (xpiotrx@kki.net.pl)
Tue, 10 Feb 1998 19:43:19 +0000
Dear HPN subscribers below you'll find short report about homless
situation in Krakow/Poland.
In Krakow exist already 12 sleeping house for homeless with 600 free
spaces. MOPS (local organization helping homless ) is helping
also those people who cant pay rent for their houses. Last year 3329
Krakowian families seeked help in MOPS.
Officials are saying that in Krakow area lifes approx. 1000
homeless. Most of them are peolpe between 30-60 years, half of them
are seriously ill and 70 % might be disabillity. Exactly numbers are
not know. In fact 39% of Polish families lifes below poverty line.
In Krakow the major problem are also those homeless who are drug
addicted. Mostly they're scoffed by other homeless and can't find
free spaces in Homless Centres. "Normal" homless argue that they may
be affect by AIDS, that way they don't want to see them in Homless
Center. Very often rules of Center helps them whicg says that
"drunk person can't be a user od Center". Many of drug addicted
homless has spent last winter in staircases.
Most of tenats have put sign on front door: "Drug Addicted are
please to remove needles and syringes". Which is good because in
Polish society they maight simple called the cops. In Krakow 8 of
them frozzeed last winter.
The main organization which helps drug addicted is MONAR. Their
ambitious is to create Center for only drug addicteds. It would
contains little out-patients' depatment, kitchen, baths and laundry.
If it succeed Krakowian Drug Addicted Center will be 2nd one in
Poland after Warsaw.
Many of homless complied on cops for their brutal behave, after
Slupsk aciddent (one of cops has killed 13-y old football fan. It
sparked riots) Krakowian cops are trying to be somehow friendly. In
fact most of homless are saying that Krakow is very friendly city for
them.
It must be added that Polish homless peolpe are doing the biggest
eco job for Polish natural enviromental. Why? They're collecteing
paper, metal, etc and selling to the recykling center for money.
Last winter in whole Poland about 50 homless frozzed to death.
the disscusion about supporting Homless Cneter by goverment will
come back on headlins in next winter (sic!).
Thankfully Polish winter's gone.
PS. Sorry my rough English...
Piotr Kuzniar
xpiotrx@kki.net.pl
sXe --> http://usctoux1.cto.us.edu.pl/~lesiecki/