Guillermo Sánchez on the homeless: “IMAS is not a hotel”

PalmThe president of the Mallorcan Institute of Social Affairs (IMAS) stated in Thursday's plenary session of the Consell de Mallorca that "the vast majority of homeless They don't want IMAS services because they're not charity; things have changed, and compliance with regulations, schedules, and an individualized care plan is now required." Along the same lines, he emphasized that "IMAS isn't a hotel." Sánchez also referred to the Mobile Emergency Units (UME) that provide services to people living on the streets, saying they "have difficulty getting the homeless to leave the settlements because they don't want to comply with regulations." Furthermore, he pointed out that homelessness "isn't a reality unique to Palma; it occurs in all major European cities and is one of the great challenges of modern societies."

She also pointed out that local councils have the authority to provide immediate assistance in situations of social vulnerability. She also took the opportunity to highlight the actions being carried out by the IMAS (Mallorca Social Welfare Institute) to address the increase in homelessness. She explained that the census of homeless people, which is conducted every two years, was not carried out in 2025 because the Spanish government "canceled it." However, she welcomed the fact that the EAPN (European Association Against Homelessness) and the UIB (University of the Balearic Islands) are conducting a study, in which the IMAS will also collaborate, with the aim of "having an updated map of homelessness in the Balearic Islands." In the same vein, she announced that, given the growing number of homeless people, the IMAS will have to create new places to address the issue. Therefore, she referred to the renovations currently underway at the nursing home and the Bonanova residence, two facilities that "have places for socially vulnerable individuals that can be incorporated into the network of places." He also announced that "the 'Ca Meva' project will be available in a few months so that people with physical disabilities at risk of social exclusion can also access services." Sánchez explained that IMAS has already launched auctions for new properties to expand services and has also created new projects such as the program for homeless youth. "We will continue to increase our efforts so that anyone who wants to access our services can apply for a place," he concluded.