The center for sheltering homeless persons situated on Haltei St in Chisinau has a capacity of only 70 places and became overcrowded after the weather grew colder. The municipal authorities are making effort to identity other areas to shelter the about 400 persons found on the street, IPN reports.

In the December 11 meeting of officials of Chisinau services and divisions, Health Division head Mihai Moldovanu said the first cases of hypothermia among homeless persons were reported these days. Those who need medical treatment will be hospitalized, but the health facilities cannot be turned into placement centers.

Deputy head of the Chisinau Police Division Silviu Musuc said that about 121 vagrant persons were identified during the raids carried out through the capital city last Saturday. A large part of them were referred to the center on Haltei St, but there are also persons with disabilities among these, who cannot be lodged there.

Acting mayor of Chisinau Silvia Radu requested to identify areas to accommodate all the about 400 homeless people, including those with special needs, by working in cooperation with nongovernmental and religious organizations and by thinking up a distribution plan.

Contacted by IPN, head of the center for sheltering homeless persons Andrei-Gavriil Rotaru said that 80 persons, most of whom elderly, were lodged at the center in the evening of December 10. There the beneficiaries can have a meal and take a shower and are offered clothes and footwear and even hygiene products. Difficulties in accommodating persons with disabilities are indeed faced as these people need care and the center does not have sufficient personnel to help these.

A working meeting with representatives of the competent subdivisions was called to discuss the issue. It was decided to create a commission that would identify solutions for lodging all the homeless persons in several days.