In August, Brazil had at least 227,087 people in street situations, according to Ipea (Institute of Applied Economic Research), a leap of 935.31% compared to 2013 when the number was 21,934.
Ipea used data from the CadÚnico (Single Registry). The situation may be more serious as not all street populations are in these records.
The average age of those living on the streets in the country is 41 years; 69% are Black, and 70% have some income-generating activity. Children make up 2.5%, and 56% of those aged 7 to 15 are in school.
Among the causes of the problem are economic exclusion, family bond ruptures, and health issues, especially mental health.
Marco Antonio Natalino, the author of the survey, states that for almost a decade, Brazil has been going through economic crises, a situation that worsened during the pandemic.
"And it hasn't improved. People have to choose whether to pay for food, medicine, or rent," says Robson Mendonça from a homeless population entity.