"The most chronic families came to the first weeks of confinement, which we have helped for a long time. But over the days, families have come who have never been users of social services", Explain Cristina Morera, First Deputy Mayor and Councilor for Social Services of the City of Dénia. The loss of employment and the fact that these families have been left without any income is the main cause of the profile change.
More and more families are requesting emergency aid, and for this reason, the aid procedure has been shortened: Before the health alert, these emergencies were processed in a monthly meeting to assess the cases, and were transferred to the Governing Board. This involved a collection period of more or less one month. However, during confinement, a weekly procedure, as Morera explains: "Every week the list of applicants is collected, it is passed by a mayoral decree, and it goes directly to intervention for payment, it is much faster". Even so, although now the aid takes a week to resolve, the council has food vouchers available to those who need them immediately. The amount of the food vouchers depends on the family unit, and they cover the basic needs of food and hygiene products. Cristina Morera hopes that with the lack of confidence "the situation is improving little by little, with the return to the jobs. We hope to remove them all ahead."
According to Morera, also aimed at alleviating people's suffering, the housing department is "working at 200%" advising citizens on the procedures that they have to carry out to obtain the central government subsidies for rent, to request moratoriums on mortgages and for other matters related to housing.
Homeless people
The situation of people living on the street is studied on a case-by-case basis. The councilor explains the various situations they encounter: "The police find them, ask them if they need a roof, but they cannot compel them. There are many people who do not want to move. Others have been caught in the confinement in Dénia, in which case they are paid the ticket to They can move to large cities where they do have more specialized shelters. Those who live on the street but have family members are encouraged to go to these homes. We also find people who go to social services because they have no one: for these cases there are housing resources so that they can have a roof, fulfill confinement and ensure their well-being. "
