This winter initiative offered 432 stable daily places, ensuring social intervention, basic healthcare, and essential needs such as accommodation, food, and hygiene. Of the total beneficiaries, 1,117 were men (78%) and 321 were women (22%), all receiving comprehensive assistance during the colder months when climatic conditions add to the risks of living on the streets.
“"The Madrid City Council has prioritized comprehensive care and extended stays for the most vulnerable profiles: young people under 30 (representing 33% of the total), those over 65, individuals with serious physical and mental health conditions, people with low autonomy, and women."
The priority access for women to these centers is due to the higher risk of violence they face on the streets. An increase in the number of women attended was noted, rising from 20.4% in the previous campaign to 22.4% in the current one. Demand for the service, coordinated by SAMUR Social, remained high, with an overall occupancy of 91.4% and over 53,700 stays generated. In addition to fixed places, extra accommodations were provided during 40 days of extreme temperatures, adding nearly 1,500 additional stays.
51% of the users were homeless individuals, while the remaining 49% were in socio-residential exclusion. Although asylum seeker assistance is the responsibility of the Spanish Government, the Madrid City Council, within the framework of social emergency, offered accommodation and social care to 139 individuals in this situation while their access to the international protection system was being processed.
The Winter Campaign has proven to be an effective tool for connecting with excluded individuals and facilitating their transition to more stable resources. 25% of those assisted managed to leave homelessness; 281 people were referred to the Municipal Network for Homeless Care and other social centers, 51 achieved independent living, nine elderly individuals were moved to residences, and support was provided for the voluntary return of 15 people to their country of origin.
This year, for the first time, social care was extended to daytime hours, complementing the nighttime service. A total of 8,357 social work interventions were carried out, including case assessments, follow-ups, document management, and referrals. The commitment to improving care began the previous year with the incorporation of new social workers and assistants, a reinforcement maintained in the 2025-2026 campaign. Improvements in food service also continued, with hot meals served for dinner instead of sandwiches.
The nursing service performed 7,242 interventions, and a new addition was the support from SAMUR Social psychologists, who attended 48 cases. This service will be strengthened in future campaigns. Coordination among municipal services was key, with the Municipal Transport Company of Madrid (EMT Madrid) facilitating transfers, the Municipal Police assisting with user collection, SAMUR-Civil Protection responding to health emergencies, Madrid Salud providing support, Street Teams identifying and referring users, and Volunteers for Madrid offering social accompaniment.
