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‘A Crisis Within a Greater Crisis’: Hidden Vulnerabilities among People Experiencing Homelessness During the Covid-19 Pandemic in Croatia

Research literature has shown that crises such as pandemics can exacerbate existing vulnerabilities and that it is common for certain social groups to experience crises more severely than others. Challenges specific to the homeless population in the areas of communication, infection control, isolation and quarantine, and resource allocation have been identified (Leung et al., 2008) while a lack of assistance in a pandemic situation or non-compliance may be a threat to public health (Tsai & Wilson, 2020). In light of the current Covid-19 pandemic, instructions such as staying home, physical distancing and frequent handwashing become unmanageable among homeless people, especially if networks that are essential for their survival start to collapse. This paper, which is part of a larger international project on homelessness and pathways to social inclusion (CSRP No. IZHRZO_180631/1), aims to examine the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on people experiencing homelessness in Zagreb and Split. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, this qualitative study explores the daily life experiences of this socially excluded group as well as their coping strategies during this crisis. Using a holistic perspective, we also analyse institutional and non-institutional forms of support as well as national and local responses to the pandemic. Although new problems and challenges related to service availability/access as well as criminalisation/punishment of life-sustaining and human activities can be identified, this pandemic is ‘a crisis within a greater crisis’ for many homeless people who belong to one of the most socially marginalised and invisible groups of citizens in Croatia.

homelessness ; crisis ; vulnerabilities ; Croatia

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