Terms like vagabond, homeless, beggar, poor, or houseless label a problem that is structural to living without a stable home. The core issue is the lack of access to housing, combined with the right to health, to work, and to personal safety and dignity.
That is why a campaign has emerged, led by presenter and journalist Berta Collado. The word homelessness is being considered for inclusion in the next update of the Royal Spanish Academy dictionary (RAE).
Even though the term is not yet in dictionaries, the reality exists on city streets and in neighborhoods across communities. It is also reflected in major policies aimed at expanding housing access, such as the Housing Law, the State Plan for Housing Access, and the National Strategy to Combat Homelessness for 2023-2030.
Letter to RAE
As noted, homelessness appears in many regional and municipal policies. José Manuel Cabalol, managing director of Hogar Sí, and Maria Paz Battaner Arias, manager of the Spanish dictionary (DLE), have addressed the issue through a formal letter.
Battaner has contributed five updates since taking office in 2017. He notes that he also occupies the seat focused on homelessness. The communications director of the organization explains that society often hesitates to discuss the homeless, beggars, and the poor, which reinforces stigmas and prejudices—even more so when the topic affects the whole community.
“Only 13 percent of the total homeless population relies on begging, so labeling them as beggars misrepresents reality. Referring to them as merely poor also fails to honor their dignity and can prompt people to overlook the structural nature of the issue,” the letter states.
a growing problem
Official counts show a 25% rise in homelessness from 2012 to 2022, reaching 28,552 individuals. Advocacy groups estimate that another 8,000 to 11,000 people stay outside formal systems, not visiting centers, soup kitchens, or shelters. In the eyes of governments and society, these people often disappear from policy conversations.
The combined total of those experiencing homelessness is about 37,000 people. Data from the National Institute of Statistics Care Centers and Services Survey for 2022 indicate 26,690 available shelter spaces, a 22.8% increase (6,077 spaces) since 2020. Yet, 10,300 people remained outside the accommodation network initially.
The takeaway is that roughly 27.8% of homeless individuals fall outside the system. SIN HOGAR notes that 46.4 percent (2,820 people) of this growth occurred in shelters. International evidence consistently shows that housing-first approaches deliver more effective outcomes than large-scale sheltering because sustainable housing reduces chronic hardship.
Advocates urge a reform of the homelessness care system, pushing for housing solutions as the endpoint rather than relying on shelters as a quick fix. Shelters should address emergencies, not become a chronic housing alternative for as many as 40% of those affected.