This past January, the Municipal Government of São Paulo, one of Latin America's largest cities, released the results of its Census of the Homeless Population, presenting its socioeconomic characterization and a territorial profile. Recent GDP data, along with the census findings, demonstrate the impacts of the pandemic and the economic and political crisis on society, confirming what is being reflected across major Brazilian cities.
As one of the most important tools of modern societies, periodic demographic research provides key data to analyze a population's quality of life, while ideally guiding the development of public policies. Prior to the 2021 homeless population census, recently released by the São Paulo Municipal Government, the city's last survey of this population was conducted in 2019, preceding the novel coronavirus pandemic. Despite criticisms of the methodology used and likely underreporting, the results show a considerable increase in the homeless population in the city of São Paulo since 2019.
