New Arrifes Initiative Aims to Help Residents Move from Emergency Shelter to Independent Living
The Regional Government of the Azores has identified 439 people experiencing homelessness across the archipelago, according to figures recently submitted to the Azorean Parliament. The data reveal a phenomenon heavily concentrated on São Miguel Island, particularly in the municipality of Ponta Delgada, while also outlining plans for a new transitional housing project designed to support individuals on the final stages of social reintegration.
The figures were disclosed in response to a parliamentary inquiry submitted by deputies from Chega regarding the proposed creation of a transitional housing facility in the parish of Arrifes, on the outskirts of Ponta Delgada.
According to the Government’s report, São Miguel accounts for 340 of the 439 cases registered in the Region. Within São Miguel, Ponta Delgada alone is home to 299 individuals experiencing homelessness, representing more than two-thirds of all cases identified in the Azores.
The remaining cases are distributed among other islands, with Terceira reporting 64 individuals, Pico 28, Faial six, and São Jorge one. No cases were officially recorded on Flores, Santa Maria, Graciosa, or Corvo.
The data further distinguish between two categories of homelessness. Of the total, 214 people are classified as “roofless” — individuals living on the streets, in public spaces, emergency shelters, abandoned buildings, vehicles, tents, or other precarious conditions. Another 225 individuals are considered “houseless,” residing in temporary accommodation facilities. The distribution is almost evenly divided, with 48.7 percent categorized as roofless and 51.3 percent as houseless.
The figures underscore the growing challenge facing social services throughout the Region, particularly in urban areas where housing shortages, economic vulnerability, mental health concerns, and social exclusion often intersect.
Against this backdrop, the Regional Government confirmed that it is evaluating the construction of eight transitional housing units in Arrifes. The project would consist of small one-bedroom or studio residences intended for individuals who have already completed much of their reintegration journey and are preparing to return to fully independent living.
Officials emphasized that the initiative differs substantially from traditional emergency shelters or long-term residential institutions.
Rather than providing permanent accommodation, the project is designed as an intermediate step between temporary shelter and complete autonomy. Residents would continue to receive professional social support while assuming increasing responsibility for their daily lives, employment, and community integration.
The proposal forms part of the First Regional Plan for the Inclusion of Persons Experiencing Homelessness (2026–2030), which establishes a goal of creating at least one transitional housing response in Ponta Delgada by 2027.
The final cost of the project has not yet been determined, as technical studies remain underway. Funding is expected to combine regional resources with other public financing mechanisms, in cooperation with the Municipality of Ponta Delgada.
Management of the facility is expected to be entrusted to a Private Institution of Social Solidarity (IPSS), integrated within São Miguel’s Social and Cultural Support Network for Human Mobility. This network operates under the coordination of the Azorean Social Security Institute and brings together professionals from social services, mental health, addiction recovery, and employment support.
Unlike emergency shelters, the Arrifes project will not provide twenty-four-hour supervision. Residents will instead receive regular technical and psychosocial support tailored to their level of autonomy. Each individual will be assigned a case manager responsible for monitoring a personalized life project focused on housing stability, employment, and social integration.
Admission criteria reflect this philosophy. Candidates must be in the advanced stages of reintegration, free from severe mental health conditions, stable in recovery from addictive behaviors, and capable of independently managing daily activities. Priority will be given to individuals already engaged in employment or occupational programs and demonstrating readiness for a more autonomous lifestyle.
Regional officials stress that the selected location offers favorable conditions for integration, combining accessibility, community resources, and distance from environments associated with social vulnerability and relapse risk.
The Government also notes that by December 2025, thirty-three residents housed in temporary accommodation facilities in Ponta Delgada had already achieved significant levels of stability, employment participation, and personal autonomy, making them potential candidates for transitional housing opportunities of this type.
The success of the project will be measured through indicators including sustained housing stability, employment integration, social participation, prevention of relapse into homelessness, and overall personal autonomy.
Beyond the statistics, the initiative represents a broader shift in the Region’s approach to homelessness. Increasingly, policymakers are focusing not only on emergency responses but also on long-term pathways toward independent living.
For many of the individuals represented within these figures, the challenge is no longer simply finding temporary shelter. It is creating the conditions necessary to rebuild a stable life, reconnect with the community, and regain the independence that homelessness often strips away.
The planned Arrifes project seeks to become one of those bridges — a place not of permanence, but of transition, offering an opportunity for a new beginning.
Translated and adapted from a story in Diário dos Açores, Paulo Viveiros, director.