Budapest programme to help homeless women and their social carers

Homeless women and social workers caring for them are in the focus of a joint programme launched on Friday in Budapest in cooperation of municipal, civil and for-profit sector participants.

The programme includes film screenings, fund raising and a literary competition organised by the city council, film distributor Mozinet, the Budapest Methodological and Social Centre (BMSZKI) and the Budapest Bike Maffia.

Addressing a joint press conference, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony highlighted the importance of “a new public policy approach” by the city’s leadership to the homeless and in providing homeless care.

“Budapest’s new leadership has accordingly prepared an all new homeless care strategy,” he said.

Karácsony criticised the government’s policy which he said punishes the homeless rather than handling them with empathy and is seeking to prevent the majority of Budapest residents “from seeing homelessness as a complex issue”.