San José Mayor urges President to address homelessness crisis

Diego Miranda, the Mayor of San José, has sent a formal letter to President Laura Fernández requesting national intervention to address the growing homelessness crisis in the capital. Miranda described the situation as a result of a “failed policy” and noted that approximately 2,300 people are currently living on the streets, a figure exceeding the population of the San Rafael de Esparza district.

The municipality reports an unsustainable financial burden, spending over ₡2,000 million annually on services related to this population, including security, cleaning, and waste collection. The Mayor highlighted several critical issues, such as the occupation of public spaces, property deterioration, impacts on local commerce, and the presence of illicit activities.

To resolve the issue, the municipal government proposed three main actions: the creation of an integrated working group involving all responsible institutions to define specific budgets and tasks, and a legislative reform to provide institutions with better tools to address the problem.