Pessoas em situação de rua e a Covid-19: reflexões acerca das políticas públicas e do acesso a espaços de higienização

Abstract

For a long time, the Homeless People (HP) were unassisted by public policies, at the mercy of philanthropic initiatives to guarantee basic living conditions. However, even after the establishment of the National Policy for the HP in 2009, this population still finds it difficult to access their rights. In the pandemic context experienced in Brazil since March 2020, these vulnerabilities have become even more visible. Several initiatives were created in order to ensure greater protection for these individuals. The present research, qualitative and exploratory, had as main objective to explore the effects of a hygiene intervention for homeless people, organized during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the meanings attributed by them to this experience. Subsequently, 4 people living on the streets were interviewed and a Focus Group was carried out with the team of the Specialized Reference Center for Social Assistance (SRCSA) responsible for working with this public. Through content analysis, four categories were identified: meanings of bathing, self-care on the street, the creation of a “pseudo service” and bonding. The results allow us to perceive that the bath was presented as a tool for the improvement in social relationships, in work relationships and also for the increase of well-being. Conversely, the hygiene intervention provided a link between users and the team, which was reflected in the adherence to the service. The discussion points to the necessity to implement public policies as a way of guaranteeing rights for this population.