"Whether it's plus 40 or minus 20, the system is not good": People experiencing homelessness without shelter during summer heat

Even when temperatures soar above 40 degrees Celsius, individuals experiencing homelessness in Serbia face systemic neglect, mirroring the challenges encountered during winter. The lack of adequate support systems leaves them vulnerable to extreme heat, struggling to access basic human needs such as hygiene and shelter.

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No system that does not follow the real needs of citizens is definitely not a good system.

Milica Jocić from ADRA Serbia highlighted the systemic failures, noting the absence of a social protection strategy for over a decade. A significant issue is that many homeless individuals lack identification, rendering them administratively invisible and making it impossible to accurately count or assist them. This administrative invisibility prevents them from accessing essential services.

While doctors recommend staying cool during heatwaves, practical solutions are scarce. Belgrade provides services through only one "Shelter for Adults and the Elderly," offering 24-hour accommodation, hygiene, healthcare, and social support. Additionally, a night shelter provides only sleeping facilities. Jocić estimates that at least 5,000 people are homeless in Belgrade alone, with her organization having worked with over 500 in the past six months. She believes the actual number could be ten times higher when considering less visible forms of homelessness.

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Our team in Belgrade has worked with over 500 people experiencing homelessness in the last six months, but our estimates are that if we include other hidden and less visible forms of homelessness, we are talking about a number that is at least ten times larger.

Both the shelter and night shelter have limited capacity, especially during summer. Crucially, they do not offer daytime cooling services, unlike the temporary daytime centers opened during extreme winter cold. Jocić emphasized that specific social and health protection measures tailored for the summer months, particularly during heatwaves, are absent. While water tanks have been placed in public areas, these are general measures not specifically targeted at the homeless population.

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In contrast to the winter period, when Belgrade opens daytime centers for people experiencing homelessness during extreme winter temperatures, daytime centers have not been opened in Belgrade during summer temperatures, despite their real need.