População em situação de rua no município de Natal-RN: limites, possibilidades e avanços no acesso à assistência social

Abstract

The present study aims to investigate the accessibility of the homeless population to social benefits, with a special focus on emergency assistance, available to them in the municipality of Natal-RN, Brazil. The research undertakes a historical analysis of the emergence of this population, linking it to the development of capitalism, Brazil’s socio-historical formation, and the structural crisis of capital. Furthermore, it identifies the role of Social Work in raising the visibility of this population and their historical and political struggles. To this end, the study employed the dialectical materialism method, adopting a qualitative and quantitative approach and utilizing bibliographic and documentary research as methodological procedures. Among the main findings of the study, emphasis is placed on the historical neglect of the homeless population, their invisibility, delays in implementing the National Policy for the Homeless Population, and the limited scope of social rental assistance in the municipality of Natal-RN.