La Violeta is the second CRI to open in the city in the last year after La Llavor, which was inaugurated in October 2020. The two centres for part of the municipal strategy to prevent homelessness among women.

The new centre is designed to provide accommodation and social care for women and help fight the effects of residential exclusion at an early stage, with personal resources and tools, empowerment spaces and comprehensive support for them to define their own life projects. They are also offered social and emotional support from a gender perspective, with work focusing on labour insertion and more permanent housing options.

Measures to combat homelessness

The city currently has 2,700 places in shelters for the homeless, some 500 more than before the pandemic. Between municipally owned resources and collaboration with social entities belonging to the support network for the homeless, Barcelona has three hotels and residences, centres for women, young people and drug-dependent people.

According to Social Services, the effects of Covid-19 have prompted homelessness among people who have never been in this situation before. Despite this, the number of people sleeping rough in Barcelona has dropped by nearly 150 in the last year and now stands at 914, according to data from February.

Joint forces between administrations

La Violeta is the result of joint work between the Government of Catalonia and Barcelona City Council. Municipalities seeking to combat homelessness have the support of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Families, which funds local applicant entities to tackle the emergency by increasing available places and providing broader assistance for the homeless.