Málaga, Spain, plans to convert former day-care center into shelter for homeless families

The Málaga City Council will allocate 1,760,700.07 euros to buy a former day-care center in the Ciudad Jardín district and convert it into a temporary reception shelter for homeless families. The building, at number 1 of Calle Juan Chamizo Lucas, has a built area of 1,545 square meters and is expected to accommodate about 40 people. It operated as a day-care center until its owner decided to close it.

The existing facilities include a dining room, an industrial kitchen, and classrooms with restrooms, which may make the conversion easier. The planned layout includes a large room with beds and a shared dining room, intended to provide suitable conditions for families living together.

The city describes the resource as housing for families with minor children who lack a housing solution. Families could stay for a transitional period while they look for a solution to their housing situation. The project is designed to let minors remain with their parents in a space meant to meet their everyday needs, a concern for defending the vulnerable (Psalm 82:3).

The purchase is one item in the city’s third budget modification file, which totals 95.7 million euros. The Local Governing Board has approved the project, and it is scheduled for initial approval at the municipal Plenary Session next Thursday, October 29. The acquisition is listed among the financially sustainable investments and is financed primarily with treasury surplus.

The same budget modification also includes measures to exempt the refuse collection fee this year, finance the Auditorium, renovate sports facilities, and subsidize public transport. Of the total, 42.86 million euros correspond to financially sustainable investments and another 52.88 million euros to credit modifications.

The scope of the work needed to adapt the building, the timetable for launching the resource, and the management model that will be used have yet to be determined.

Source: Read the original report (translated from Spanish)