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Murcia opens summer shelters to protect the homeless from extreme heat
NGOs and local authorities are working together to offer relief, cool spaces and community during the hottest months
With the arrival of soaring pre-summer temperatures, the charity organisation Solidarios para el Desarrollo has taken the step of opening its ‘climate shelter’ in Murcia city 20 days earlier than last year. First launched in 2024, the shelter offers a safe, shaded space for homeless people to escape the worst of the heat.
Located on Calle San Martín de Porres next to the Merced campus, the homeless climate shelter will operate every Monday and Tuesday from 4pm to 7pm until August 26, providing fresh water, nuts, simple activities and above all a respite from the relentless afternoon sun.
Ángeles Carnacea, the local delegate of Solidarios, explained that the shelter aims to be more than just a cool room.
“This small space, designed for about fifteen people, aims to be a place for meeting, participation and culture,” she said.
Last year’s trial was well received, she added, with the shelter regularly at full capacity, but Carnacea has also called for institutional support to help expand its reach, especially in light of the closure of the Jesús Abandonado day centre back in April.
That facility, which served around 30 people daily, suspended its daytime operations due to a lack of funding and has yet to reopen. The closure has placed additional pressure on Murcia’s homeless support network and Carnacea noted that municipal and NGO services alike are struggling to fill the gap.
Solidarios, which also conducts street outreach throughout the year, now relies heavily on this modest indoor space to offer relief during peak heat hours. Visitors to the shelter are provided with fresh water, juice, board games, bracelet-making workshops and access to a small library-cum-podcasting space set up with help from the La Caixa Foundation. Everyone leaves with bottled water and, hopefully, a sense of connection.
Solidarios runs the shelter with support from its own team, plus volunteers from organisations such as Proyecto Hombre. The initiative works in coordination with SEMAS (the Emergency and Social Action Service) and the municipal Prevention and Social Insertion section, which help refer individuals to the space. Carnacea expressed gratitude to Murcia City Council, the regional government and the Food Bank for their financial and material backing.
In addition to the NGO-led effort, Murcia City Council has activated its own network of around fifty climatic shelters from Wednesday June 11. These spaces offer cool relief to the public, with a particular focus on vulnerable groups such as the elderly, people with chronic conditions, children and the homeless. Water stations or designated staff are present to ensure hydration for all.
Murcia has a track record of similar measures during winter under ‘Operation Cold’, when SEMAS teams distribute blankets, hot drinks and offer shelter transfers to rough sleepers. In December, a new digital tool was also launched to improve support and coordination for homeless services across the city.
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