Lisbon – Portugal’s national strategy to combat homelessness has lost its coordinator, Henrique Joaquim, effective February 9th, according to a dispatch published Monday in the Diário da República. The move comes as the country grapples with a worsening homelessness crisis and questions about the effectiveness of current approaches. Joaquim, who had held the position since 2020 and was reappointed in 2024, stepped down at his own request.
Joaquim’s departure follows a recent report highlighting an increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness in Portugal, including a growing number of women. The report, released in December, indicated that 14,476 people were either living on the streets, in abandoned buildings, or in vehicles, or were without stable housing in temporary accommodations. The Lisbon metropolitan area accounts for the largest concentration of individuals facing homelessness, with 4,704 cases reported, followed by Moura (634) and Porto (553). This represents a significant increase from 2018, when fewer than 4,000 people were experiencing homelessness.
Shifting Responsibilities and a Growing Crisis
The change in leadership arrives amid a broader restructuring of Portugal’s social support programs. Just two months prior, Sandra Araújo resigned as coordinator of the National Strategy to Combat Poverty 2021-2030, with responsibility for that initiative shifting to the Institute of Social Security. Now, the National Strategy for the Integration of People in Homelessness Situations, along with the National Strategy for Active and Healthy Aging, will also fall under the purview of the Institute of Social Security. This consolidation of responsibilities has drawn criticism from experts like Carlos Farinha Rodrigues, who argue that poverty reduction should be a direct responsibility of the Prime Minister.
“In my opinion, the fight against poverty should be a direct responsibility of the Prime Minister,” Rodrigues stated in a recent interview with PÚBLICO. “Attributing this responsibility, in the last PS Government, to the Minister of the Presidency and the Minister of Social Security was already a small downgrade. Now, transferring the fight against poverty to a Social Security body is to declassify poverty in terms of political and strategic importance.”
Unmet Goals and Presidential Concerns
The current situation represents a setback for efforts to address homelessness in Portugal. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa had publicly championed the issue, setting a goal to eradicate homelessness by 2023. That target was ultimately missed. “The goals that had been dreamed of in 2016, 2017, 2018, with the pandemic and the economic effect of the wars, came to nothing,” Rebelo de Sousa acknowledged in December 2024, highlighting the growing number of working individuals unable to afford housing.
The revised National Strategy for the Integration of People in Homelessness Situations, published in December, acknowledged the failures of the previous strategy, noting that it “did not prevent the increase in people in situations of homelessness,” and lacked “impact assessment of the measures in force, nor [was there] an updated characterization of people in that situation.” The novel plan aims for a less centralized approach, emphasizing the role of community organizations while maintaining national coordination.
Joaquim’s Background and Previous Role
Prior to leading the national homelessness strategy, Henrique Joaquim served as the Director-General of the Vida e Paz Community between 2012, and 2019. He declined to provide further comment when contacted by PÚBLICO regarding his departure. Joaquim had recently discussed the challenges of addressing homelessness, particularly among women, in connection with the December report on the issue.
The timing of these changes raises questions about the future direction of Portugal’s efforts to address homelessness and poverty. The Institute of Social Security is now tasked with overseeing both strategies, a move that some experts believe diminishes the political importance of these critical social issues.
The next key development will be the implementation of the revised National Strategy for the Integration of People in Homelessness Situations under the new leadership of the Institute of Social Security. Further updates on the strategy’s progress and impact assessments are expected to be released in the coming months.
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