Homeless person in Juiz de Fora Reproduction/TV Integration Juiz de Fora City Hall published, at the beginning of July, the Contingency Plan for Low Temperature Situations 2026. The document establishes integrated actions between different departments to expand assistance to the homeless population during periods of intense cold in the city. However, the plan was drawn up based on the last Census and Diagnosis of the Adult Homeless Population, completed in 2022. Since then, the municipality has not carried out a new survey on this population. ? Click here to follow the g1 Zona da Mata channel on WhatsApp According to experts, the absence of an updated diagnosis makes it difficult to identify who needs care, what the main demands are and how to direct public resources more efficiently during the period of low temperatures. The City Hall informed that the daily monitoring carried out by the social assistance network is used to guide actions aimed at the homeless population. For researcher Alexandre Aranha Arbia, professor at the Department of Fundamentals of Social Service at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF) and one of the coordinators of the last municipal census, this monitoring is important, but it does not replace an updated diagnosis. “The correct thing would be to do one in 2024 and another now in 2026. This data is very outdated,” he said. In a statement, the city hall said that it should commission a new census of the homeless population this semester. Public policies need to keep up with changes According to Arbia, periodically updating the census makes it possible to monitor changes in the profile of the homeless population and adapt public policies to current needs. Another problem, according to him, is using only the demand for public services as an indicator of demand. "Not everyone looks for the service. Many people simply give up because they can't find a place or because that reception model doesn't meet their needs." During the survey carried out in 2022, around 60% of respondents said they were able to access reception services. Still, approximately 70% reported difficulties during care. The researcher cites as an example recycling workers who remain on the streets overnight to collect materials in the early hours of the morning. There are also people who stop looking for shelter because they are unable to take pets or are afraid of losing the strollers they use at work. "If the population does not see itself served by the service, the problem is not with the population, it is with the service", he added. Diagnosis avoids wasting resources For Arbia, an updated survey also helps to ensure that public resources are applied more efficiently. "The more accurate the data, the greater the possibility of getting public policies right and avoiding waste of resources", he analyzed. According to him, increasing the number of reception spaces, for example, does not guarantee that they will be occupied if the municipality is unaware of the reasons that keep part of this population away from available services. "It is by listening to this group that an efficient public policy is built. Without this diagnosis, there is a risk of investing in solutions that do not address the problem." Census shows who remains outside the network Despite the indicators presented by the city hall, Professor Arbia also highlights that administrative records only show who seeks care, while the census also makes it possible to identify who remains outside the assistance network, understand the profile of this group and understand needs that are not yet met. "Without detailed data, public policy starts to work based on palliatives. You revolve around the problem, but are unable to tackle it effectively", he added. Last census took place in 2022 The last Census and Diagnosis of the Adult Homeless Population was carried out in partnership between Juiz de Fora City Hall and UFJF and concluded in 2022. The study identified 805 people living in this condition, an increase of 110% compared to 2016, when 384 had been counted. In addition to measuring the growth of the homeless population, the survey outlined the profile of this group: 84.7% were men; 75% declared themselves black or mixed race; the average age was 43 years; almost 40% had lived on the streets for more than five years; 35.3% said they had lost their home during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study also contradicted a recurring stereotype: more than half of those interviewed (54.2%) worked with a formal contract before losing their housing. When asked what they would need to leave the streets, the most frequent answers were employment (48.2%) and housing (44.6%). READ ALSO: Homeless population grows 110% and exceeds 800 people in Juiz de Fora, according to new Census What does City Hall say? The City Hall states that action planning is carried out based on permanent monitoring carried out by the social assistance network. According to the manager of the Department of Special Protection of the Secretariat of Social Assistance, Maria Cláudia Siqueira Dutra, Juiz de Fora currently has social approach teams, the POP Center, three halfway houses and four reception units that operate 24 hours a day. According to her, the teams travel the streets daily and also serve people who spontaneously seek services. "The approach goes through the streets, serves people, ends up being a reference on the street itself and makes the necessary referrals." The city hall also reported that there is no pent-up demand for places in halfway houses. The three units offer 155 spaces and record an average occupancy of around 80%. Permanent shelters operate at close to 90% capacity. According to the municipality, unlike previous years, it was not necessary to open emergency shelters this winter, as the season is expected to record higher temperatures than in 2025, according to a forecast from the National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet). MORE ON THE TOPIC: More than 50% of homeless people in Juiz de Fora work; see profile Homeless population grows 110% and exceeds 800 people in Juiz de Fora, according to new Census WATCH: City Hall puts contingency plan in place for cold weather in Juiz de Fora City Hall puts contingency plan in place for low temperatures in Juiz de Fora VIDEOS: see everything about Zona da Mata and Campos das Vertentes