When the economic capital of Italy was preparing to receive participants and spectators for the Winter Olympic Games starting on February 6, the bodies of two homeless men were found in the city within 48 hours. One man was found dead on Aprica Street in the central part of Milan, the second — under a temporary shelter on Cassala Avenue between shops; no visible signs of violence were found, the presumed cause is hypothermia.
According to local services, this is the sixth death of a homeless person since the beginning of 2026 — an average of one person per week. The Italian Federation of Organizations Helping the Homeless described the situation as an “invisible massacre”: in 2025, according to its records, 414 deaths of people without permanent housing were recorded in the country, with more than half of the cases occurring in Northern Italy.
Organizations and volunteers, together with the National Statistics Office (Istat), are conducting a census and mapping of the problem — in 2025 alone, about 6,000 volunteers participated in such work in order to develop more accurate and targeted assistance measures. Lamberto Bertola, Municipal Councilor for Social Protection and Health, expressed his condolences and confirmed the municipality’s commitment to support the visiting teams, the Sammartini shelter, day centers and other programs aimed at convincing people from the street to accept help.
According to local authorities, as part of the winter plan, about 700 people have been accommodated in 11 seasonal centers since November 17, in addition to the usual year-round shelters; there are still vacant places, and filling them, according to officials, can save lives. (The information is also partially based on data from il Fatto Quotidiano.)
