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A new law banning homeless people in public places has been enforced in Hungary last October.
Since 2013, Hungary has been trying to reduce the number of homeless people in public places through legislation. The latest among the anti-homelessness laws bans homeless people from living in Hungary’s streets and forests. Authorities will warn homeless people living in these places and instruct them to move into homeless shelters.
Those who do not comply with the law four times within 90 days can be incarcerated or be assigned to a public construction project for six months. To better help homeless people, the government allocated an amount equivalent to $32.17 million for their needs.
Parliamentary state secretary of human resources Bence Rétvári said that the ban is meant to save homeless people from the risks of staying outdoors. It also encourages these people to improve their lives. Rétvári added that once homeless people have temporary shelter, they could also get other needs like social support and employment.
However, some critics commented that the law will not solve the problem because the government-provided shelters are not enough for all the homeless people in Hungary. Furthermore, the existing shelters do not have enough facilities that can address the needs of the homeless, many of whom have drug addiction or mental illness.
Due to the shortage of shelters, an organization proposed a different solution to homelessness in 2016. With permission from local governments, the organization renovated vacant state-owned houses so that qualified homeless families can occupy them. The organization’s volunteers let the homeless families assist in renovation. This move helped the families gain a sense of ownership over their new homes.