A new homeless care center was handed over on Friday in the capital. The building includes a healthcare section along with a unit for elderly homeless people.

At the occasion Károly Kontrát, State Secretary of the Ministry of Interior said: the Government and the leaders of Budapest defined the re-establishment of order as a particularly important task.

“The question of homeless people is a very complex problem that needs to be treated with governmental and local governmental tools at the same time. That is the reason behind starting the Heated Streets program.” – emphasized the State Secretary.

He pointed out: the new establishment in Szabolcs street provides not only solid shelter and high standard healthcare service for the homeless but, with its 157 places, creating dignified circumstances as well. The Government supported the program with 500 million forints and the Ministry of Interior secured 222 million forints by means of public employment.

István Tarlós, Mayor of Budapest, explained that the Heated Streets program started last September and by November this year there will be 800 new places, of which 641 places were already available last winter.  Part of this initiative was the healthcare center. The cost of the program was 1.72 billion forints. 345 million forints was used for the renovation of the new building.

(Ministry of Interior)