Homeless in Russia: how many of them are actually and how do they help them?

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According to various estimates, in Russia there may be from several tens of thousands to two million homeless. Experts and NGOs indicate a growing crisis of homelessness associated with economic difficulties, violence and consequences of the war. We figure out how the support of people without housing is now arranged, whether they are really trying to recruit them into the army and how they can help them

• Author

  

  Author

  Nikita Pegov

• Editor

  Editor

  Semen Vladimirov

• Publication

  March 12, 2025

How many homeless people are in Russia? Who becomes them and how?

The Russian authorities do not conduct official statistics on the counting of homeless people, so the real number of such people is not known exactly. The last time the homeless census was carried out in 2020 - then, according to the statements of the official bodies, in Russia there were only about 12 thousand people without housing, however, as the project indicates “to be precise”, this number is underestimated by tens or even hundreds of times.

Independent expert: Ki indicate that the homeless in the country can be about two million people, most of whom are in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Charity organizations, including the "night", are also collected in Russia. In the NGOs, a special base of homeless people in a difficult life position was created . On its basis, in 2024, “to be precise”, they made up the “middle portrait of the homeless”.

Researcher: Nitsa found out that most often it turns out to be a man (78%) with Russian citizenship. In most cases, a person moves to Moscow or St. Petersburg aged 32 to 41 years, but in the end the employer turns out to be a deceived: a Nice and, unable to rent an apartment or return home, remains on the street. The second most common reason is “family problems” (for example, divorce).

Among women, various types of violence become a common cause of homelessness: sexualized, domestic and economic. Moving in search of work occupies the second line of anti -rating.

An anonymous employee of the NPO, helping homeless, in the comment of DOXA notes that the number of homeless people in Russia is growing steadily. In his opinion, this is due to the lack of a unified state strategy for assistance to people who have lost housing and " coordinated efforts to reduce the scale of homelessness ." In addition, there are more and more reasons why people find themselves on the street: sanctions, the closure of large enterprises in the regions of Russia, the increase in prices, the consequences of the war in Ukraine and the increased domestic violence.

Do homeless people take to war?

Judging by the publications of the media, the representative of the Russian authorities try to take first of all to the war with Ukraine: the NIC of vulnerable groups: prisoners, people from regions with small income who are forced to feed families, members: to small peoples and so on. But they tell about the recruitment of homeless people less often.

However, cases of mass recruitment of people without housing are rarely publicized. The most loud raids during mobilization in the fall of 2022. Then the security forces first came to the Orthodox center "Angar of Salvation", taking almost all men under 50 years old. Two days later, the raid on the homeless also passed at the Kursk station, where the left activist: Ki from the organization "Food instead of bombs" handed out food to those in need. According to one of the homeless people who managed to avoid mobilization, even people without passports were taken to the military registration and enlistment office, and 20–25 people were on the bus with it.

The recruiters regularly come to the centers of assistance to the homeless, however, as Azamat Zinnurov from the Bashkort Republican Center for Assistance notes , mobilize it rarely there. The center mainly contains people with disabilities, and for all the time of agitation to the war only two homeless people wanted to go. One of them was buried two months after he sent a photograph in military uniform. According to Zinnurov, the recruiter talked about the fact that similar practice is used in St. Petersburg.

There is a reverse trend: men who returned from the front become homeless, although previously had a fairly stable earnings and place of residence. Some cannot adapt to a peaceful life because of the PTSR.

In addition, against the backdrop of war, funds for helping homeless began to receive fewer donations and support, says an employee of the “House of Friends” in the Novaya Gazeta report. Public services pay more and more attention to financing war in Ukraine and the supply of “humanitarian” to the front, which is why the problem of homelessness fades into the background.

The interlocutor DOXA confirms that I have heard about cases of mobilization among the homeless, although there are no accurate statistics about the number called up. He also says that in some assistance centers there are posters that offer to conclude a contract with the Russian army and go to fight in Ukraine.

In addition, he confirms cases when people who returned from the front seek help from NPOs that help homeless. The number of such cases increases. Some need rehabilitation and the opportunity to spend the night somewhere, and someone is applying for legal support.

The expert refers to foreign research from developed countries, which show that from 10% to 20% of war veterans eventually become homeless, clarifying that in Russia this indicator will probably be much higher due to the lack of social support to those who returned from the war.

Do the authorities help charitable organizations?

The state has complex relations with the help of homeless. On the one hand, it ignores the initiatives of the same “overnight stays”, which recently proposed to attract narrow -profile doctor: Yin to care for the homeless in Moscow. Now they receive only basic and primary assistance from Feldshero: K. Sometimes an ambulance does not at all take people without housing to the hospital.

In the Department of Social Protection of Moscow, a volunteer: the campaign replies that the homeless people already receive the necessary help, and refuse to go to any changes in the status quo. In addition, in December 2024, the Moscow authorities ignored the proposal of the “night” to improve the work of city heating points for the homeless.

State companies are also reluctant to meet NGOs. A rare example is the action on March 12 in St. Petersburg: the Lenfilm film company and the Prosper “Provation” conducted a show of the film “Logs of Life” to help people without housing. Money from the sale of tickets will go to support the Night Bus project for the local branch of the Night Directorate.

At the same time, such initiatives, when state -owned companies are going to cooperate with independent NGOs, helping homeless, is quite small. Most often, private companies and public spaces come to the aid of organizations, which either cover the shares or provide their premises for the work of volunteer: to and various events.

The problem is also that the state is considered toxic. In the DOXA commentary, an expert on homelessness notes that the authorities continue to issue grants for NGOs, but they are also aimed at the annexed territories of Ukraine and participants in the war. Because of this, some organizations refuse to participate in competitions.

“ For independent NPOs, working conditions in Russia have remained difficult for recent years: the number of sources of financing and independent media are reduced, which could act as sites to attract attention to social problems ,” our interlocutor notes.

He adds that the risk of recognition by the “ino -agent” also affects the work of organizations.

It is mainly necessary to rely on non -state help, say the volunteer interviewed by DOXA: Ki. The same "night" collaborates with the Second Binding Foundation in Moscow and "thank you" stores in St. Petersburg, where people can bring warm clothes and shoes for the homeless so that they can survive the winter.

How to help homeless and why not be afraid?

The interlocutor DOXA says that the main thing in this situation is not to believe myths and stereotypes about the homeless, help NPOs, do not pass by people in need and independently study research regarding homelessness.

Contrary to public opinion , alcohol and drug addiction do not so often cause homelessness - in only 8% of cases. More often dependences appear in a person after he has lost housing.

Moreover, a person in a situation of homelessness does not necessarily live on the street. 37% of those who turn to the "night" live in squat or shelters. In the commentary “to be precise”, the organization Karina Garinova explains : “ Hiring is not necessarily the need to spend the night on the street, but the lack of permanent, safe and affordable housing in the place of actual location of a person .”

Many homeless people, almost half of the respondents in the study “to be precise”, have constant or temporary work, which, nevertheless, does not allow them to independently provide themselves with the basic needs for food and grains.

It is important to understand that homelessness is not a personal choice of a single person, but a combination of economic and social processes that are often explained by the decisions of the authorities: for example, uneven budget subsidies regions from a center, expanding shadow economy, as well as unrealistic expenses for war.