The Elche City Council’s Department of Social Action has announced the start of the “Immediate Intervention and Social Recovery with Homeless People” project for 2026. This new programme’s goal is to make the care and social assistance that homeless persons get better.
Celia Lastra, the area’s councillor, said that the Valencian Government gave the programme a grant of 85,858 euros through the Ministry of Social Services, Equality, and Housing’s call for proposals. This money is meant for social intervention projects that help people who are in very vulnerable situations.
Lastra said, “It is a programme that was made with the clear goal of getting the government closer to the homeless people who live on our streets, understanding their situation, and giving them direct, immediate, and personalised help.”
The project has engaged two full-time professionals: a social worker and a specialist in social integration. They will work right in the community. They planned their work schedule around when these people are in different parts of the city. This means that they have both morning and afternoon shifts.
The councilwoman said that the project had two goals. First, to learn a lot about the lives of people who live on the streets and the reasons why they are so socially isolated. Second, to get the government closer to these people and let them know about the resources and social benefits they can get.
“Many of these people don’t get to social services through the usual channels, so the government has to go out and meet them,” Lastra underlined that the effort will build on and deepen the work that Social Action is already doing, in partnership with other organisations that engage with homeless people in the city.
Celia Lastra says, “This project is not just a technical action; it is a political and social commitment to dignity, equal opportunities, and not leaving anyone behind in our city.”
