BackThe new Mayor of Budapest has “dismissed” homeless people from the prior underpasses in the Hungarian capital. However, the disappearance of this group from the public areas would not eliminate the phenomenon of homelessness; only its visible forms will be moved from public territories . For this reason, the Ombudsman has focused on that issues and examined the capital city's homeless situation this winter.
The rapid inspection of Prof. Mate Szabó, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Civil Rights found that thanks to the NGOs’ civil workers and the relevant contracts - despite all the difficulties – the supply of homeless people has not been deteriorated significantly in the recent winter months. On the other hand the root of homelessness in society and the circumstances of poverty have not been disappeared either. Furthermore, these disadvantaged groups and the number of those people who are in need for care will not diminish in the nearby future, but the number will increase according to some estimates. Therefore, the major’s plan to "clean" the subways could not lead to real results by itself. Furthermore, it does not alleviate the problem either that the government may declare the misuse or the "habitually use" of public places as offenses from January.
The cooperation among homeless people and NGOs in the field has been improved significantly in recent years. However, if the available funds are reduced and replaced by rigor and legal threats, it will also violate the human dignity of the homeless and the work with them will be more-and-more difficult; so far this trend does not bring any long-term solution. Mr. Szabó has noted that such measures do not serve either the social reintegration of homeless people, or the prevention of homelessness.
As honoring the activities of those persons, who are not working “professionally” with homeless people but they make great achievements to improve the rights and situation of the homeless people in Hungary, Prof. Szabó with his colleagues have been awarded for the Ombudsman’s Homeless Project in 2010.
