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For most people, getting through a hot day in the Region of Murcia means finding some shade, turning on the air conditioning or heading for the coast. For someone living on the street, there may be nowhere to escape the heat at all.
More than 500 people are estimated to be living on the streets across the Region this summer, with Murcia and Cartagena among the areas where the problem is particularly visible.
There is no complete regional count of people experiencing homelessness. Figures collected by the INE in 2022 recorded 618 people, although the survey only covered adults using accommodation or food services in municipalities with more than 20,000 inhabitants.
The numbers recorded by charities give a clearer indication of the scale of the issue. Cáritas supported 1,805 people experiencing homelessness in the Region during 2025, while Jesús Abandonado, which works mainly in Murcia, helped 2,615 people. By July this year, around 500 people had already used its services.
Hospitalidad Santa Teresa in Cartagena provided accommodation for 1,100 people during 2025 and has already welcomed almost 600 people in 2026. Not all of these people are sleeping rough at the same time, but the figures show just how many people are moving through support services.
Extreme temperatures are difficult for anyone, but the risks are much greater when there is no home, bedroom or air-conditioned space to retreat to.
Spanish family and community medicine specialists say prolonged heat exposure can leave people physically exhausted and eventually affect the kidneys, heart, respiratory system and brain.
The problem is made worse by dehydration. People living on the street can struggle to find fresh drinking water, while unsuitable clothing and a lack of shade add to their exposure. In Murcia, only 43% of the city's 211 drinking fountains were reported to be working in July.
Some people also have chronic illnesses or rely on medication, which can be difficult to store safely when you're living outdoors in extreme temperatures.
Charities across the Region are trying to give people somewhere cooler to spend the hottest part of the day. Cáritas has accommodation and support services in Cartagena and Lorca, temporary accommodation in Torre Pacheco and supported housing in several municipalities.
Jesús Abandonado provides air-conditioned centres, food, cold water and advice on staying safe during periods of extreme heat. Its staff and volunteers also remind people to avoid being outside during the hottest hours, find shade or air-conditioned spaces, drink regularly and protect themselves from the sun.
In Cartagena, Hospitalidad Santa Teresa volunteers go out every Tuesday night to areas where people without a home are known to stay, taking food and water and offering a place to sleep.
The Ayuntamiento of Murcia also increases street outreach during the summer. In July alone, its homelessness service dealt with 428 people, while the Mobile Social Emergency Service (SEMAS) carried out seven afternoon street visits and helped 170 people.
Cartagena has a daily operation involving Policía Local officers and social workers. The Ayuntamiento says 64 people have already been identified as living on the streets in 2026, compared with 73 throughout the whole of 2025.
For those with nowhere to go when temperatures climb, staying cool isn't simply a matter of comfort. It can be a matter of staying alive.
The problem isn't limited to Murcia. In Madrid, around 1,100 people were estimated to be living on the streets before the end of 2025, while a centre supporting people experiencing homelessness says some of those it helps are actually in work. Around 20% of the people staying there have jobs, but low wages and the rising cost of housing can still leave them unable to afford somewhere to live. Staff say some people arrive after losing their home following a divorce, redundancy or mental health problems, showing that homelessness can affect people whose lives may once have looked completely secure.
Read also: Bars And Restaurant Terraces In Spain Could Be Forced To Close During Heatwaves
Image 1: Artistic representation using AI
Image 2: Caritas
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