Characteristics and needs of people living homeless in Leon (Nicaragua): Similarities and differences with other groups in severe social exclusion.

Abstract

The study examines various aspects (e.g. socio-demographic characteristics, access to economic resources, social support, chronicity and access to new technologies) in a sample of homeless people living in León (Nicaragua; n=68). A questionnaire was used to collect the data. The results showed that people experiencing homelessness in León (Nicaragua) have enormous social difficulty, with high levels of chronification. Despite the major cultural and developmental differences between Spain and Nicaragua, there are considerable similarities between people living homeless in the two countries, while there are significant differences compared with waste pickers in León (Nicaragua) regarding the same aspects.