Emergence of “homelessness” as a condition of inequality and social exclusion in Panama City

Abstract

During the last decade of the 20th century, a social phenomenon has been observed characterized by people who wander through the urban areas of cities without an apparent fixed direction and who often spend the night under bridges in improvised shacks made of wood, cardboard and/or fabric, in parks, avenues, buildings and abandoned lots. In Panama, this situation has been largely put into context from the Covid19 pandemic, showing a reality that seems invisible to the majority of the population. It is believed that there are currently around 500 to 1,000 homeless people in Panama City alone, however, this is an unofficial figure and that would be without counting the periphery of the metropolis. It is perceived that homelessness is a product of the unemployment crisis resulting from the social exclusion policies of the last quarter of a century, in addition to the loss of the support network and the poor capacity of the State to assume social policies related to the security of the people who are homeless and at risk of being homeless. This research is mixed using the exploratory-descriptive methodology since it seeks to know the situation of homeless people and propose an analysis scenario based on what is collected. A questionnaire of 29 questions was applied to 56 men with a profile of having been homeless and who were non-ambulatory in three shelters for homeless people: Juan Pablo II Center (Santa Ana), One Entrance and One Exit Center (Utivé) and REMAR Center (Chilibre). In addition, technical personnel from the centers and personnel from the Municipality of Panama were interviewed.