Athens Municipality Responds to Claims About Homeless Shelter: 'It Is Not Being Abolished, It Is Transferring to the Responsible Body'

The Athens Municipality has responded to accusations regarding the closure of a temporary shelter for homeless drug users, asserting that the facility is not being eliminated but rather transitioning to a more appropriate managing body.

Maria Stratigaki, the Deputy Mayor for Equality, Municipal Health, and Child Protection, clarified that the municipality has supported the shelter's operation for years using its own resources. However, recognizing the unusual situation of the municipality funding a structure that falls under the purview of other government bodies, efforts were made to find a sustainable solution.

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We repeat for the umpteenth time that, from January 2024, the Municipality continued to cover the cost of the Temporary Accommodation Shelter for active users (>€1,000,000.00/year).

An agreement was reached in September 2025 between the Mayor, the Deputy Minister of Health, and the head of the National Organization for the Care of Primary Health (EOPE). This agreement stipulates that the municipality would continue funding the shelter until August 2026. Following this period, EOPE is set to assume full responsibility, encompassing both the scientific and overall operational aspects.

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Recognizing the paradox of the situation, namely that the Municipality's budget finances the operation of a structure that belongs to the responsibility of other bodies, it sought to find a solution.

Stratigaki emphasized that the 11-month transition period was deemed sufficient for EOPE to implement the necessary measures for the continued care of the beneficiaries. She further detailed the municipality's ongoing commitment to related areas within its actual responsibilities. These include prevention through the "Athena Health" Prevention Centers, harm reduction initiatives like naloxone training and integration with municipal clinics, and the social and occupational reintegration of former users via programs like "Housing & Work" and the Job Center.

The municipality's statement aims to reassure the public that services for vulnerable populations remain a priority, with a strategic shift in management rather than a cessation of support for the homeless drug user shelter.

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From that point, EOPE would assume, in addition to the scientific, the overall responsibility.