As Index writes, the opening of the Rachem Pula homeless shelter was initiated by the Institut Pula Association, whose president Varja Bastiančić pointed out that it will be open every day of the year from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Initially, they can accommodate 18 people because they have 13 beds and five spare beds.
“We hope that as few women and men from Pula will need this form of help.”
Zoričić thanked them for the Pula homeless shelter, which is the first shelter where both men and women can come without a single document or any fulfilled condition and spend the night there in a dry and warm place.
“In addition to the Red Cross Pula homeless shelter, our city is now also getting a place where they can sleep without any procedures, get a hot meal, and stay there until 7 a.m. This is an excellent example of how a local self-government unit and the non-profit sector should function, and the community thereby receives a new necessary service in the community,” said the mayor of Pula at the ceremony.
He added that he hopes that as few women and men from Pula will need this form of help.
“With this, Pula becomes an example city”
The head of the Administrative Department for Social Activities and Youth, Ivana Sokolov, expressed her satisfaction that Pula has received a unique shelter facility that will provide the most vulnerable citizens with a warm bed and a meal and take them off the street, at least for a while.
“With this, Pula becomes an example city because there is no such type of shelter in all of Croatia, where you can enter without a referral, a recommendation, or an identity card. The only criterion is that the person is not aggressive towards the staff and other users,” said manager Sokolov. She added that the shelter is also a kind of continuation of the residential community, which is also implemented by the Institut Pula Association.
“Housing care for the homeless is one of the priority areas for the City of Pula, and the implementation of the Rachem project of the Institut Association improves housing conditions for the homeless with the aim of reducing social exclusion and providing support in integration and inclusion in community life,” the Pula City Administration pointed out.
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