New Plan to Protect People Experiencing Homelessness

Regional authorities in Chile’s Antofagasta region said on May 23 that they are concentrating this winter’s homelessness response in the municipalities of Calama and Antofagasta, where most of the region’s people living on the street are registered. The plan combines shelters, mobile outreach routes and a new agreement with the civil registry to help people obtain identity documents, according to regional officials and local media reports. Officials said the measures are aimed at reducing exposure to subzero temperatures as winter approaches. The announcement comes as the national government rolls out Plan Protege Invierno 2026, its cold-weather response for vulnerable people and those experiencing homelessness. ### Why are Calama and Antofagasta the focus of the regional plan? The Antofagasta region has 917 people living in homelessness, according to the Registro Social de Hogares Anexo Calle cited by the Ministry of Social Development and Family. Of that total, 415 are in Antofagasta and 366 are in Calama, making those two municipalities the largest concentration points in the region. (diarioantofagasta.cl) Diario Antofagasta reported on May 23 that the regional strategy was designed around those two cities as temperatures begin to fall below zero. The outlet said authorities are seeking to protect more than 800 people through a package of emergency and support measures. ### What services are being added before the coldest months? (desarrollosocialyfamilia.gob.cl) Two new shelters are in processing as part of the plan described by regional authorities, Diario Antofagasta reported. The same report said the response also includes social outreach routes that deliver direct assistance on the street. (diarioantofagasta.cl) The Ministry of Social Development and Family has separately said that route programs in Antofagasta, Calama and Tocopilla provide breakfast and dinner, check people’s health status and activate referrals when needed. In Calama, the ministry said, a Carabineros-supported route that began last year adds 25 service interventions. (diarioantofagasta.cl) A ministry report published this week said 15 devices will operate simultaneously in the region in the coming weeks for people experiencing homelessness during the winter period. That total includes new shelters and social routes, alongside family residences and a day center, according to the report. ### What is new in this year’s plan beyond beds and food? (desarrollosocialyfamilia.gob.cl) A new agreement with Chile’s Registro Civil is one of the additions highlighted in the May 23 report. Diario Antofagasta said the arrangement is intended to help people experiencing homelessness obtain identity documents, a step that can be necessary to access services and formal support programs. (midesof.gob.cl) The national government said on May 21 that Plan Protege Invierno 2026 includes reinforced shelters, activation of the Código Azul cold-weather alert system and other benefits aimed at protecting health during periods of low temperatures. That national framework provides the backdrop for the regional measures now being concentrated in Antofagasta and Calama. (diarioantofagasta.cl) ### What is already operating in Antofagasta and Calama? A shelter called Protege in Antofagasta was inaugurated in January 2025 with capacity for 20 people, with priority for older adults, people with chronic illnesses and people with substance-use episodes, the ministry said. The center is financed by the Ministry of Social Development and Family and was set to operate for one year. (gob.cl) In Calama, the ministry said an existing shelter had been operating at full capacity and that regional street-response programs together involved daily coverage for 340 users. The ministry also said most people living on the street in the region are men between 35 and 50 years old. ### What happens next as winter advances? Plan Protege Invierno 2026 began national deployment this week, the government said on May 21. (desarrollosocialyfamilia.gob.cl) In the Antofagasta region, the ministry said additional shelters and routes will come into operation over the next few weeks, while the new facilities in processing for Calama and Antofagasta move through implementation. (gob.cl) (desarrollosocialyfamilia.gob.cl)