Greece middle classes are deteriorating under the strict austerity. After the social calls of Greece’s new poor, a new social class arises in the streets and squares of Athens: Greece’s new homeless. With an average age at 47 years, 11% of Greece homeless has a university degree, 23.5% a high school diploma, while only 9.3% are illiterate. The new homeless are usually victims of the economic crisis when unemployment and loss of income has sent some 20,000 people on the streets. They sleep in park benches and wander around from welfare to welfare for a free meal or some new clothes. Athens municipality and NGOs estimate the homeless increase within a year is at 25 percent.
NGOs speak of a new generation of homeless who cannot cover even their basic needs with a salary of just 500 euro.
The new homeless grow like mushrooms and they try often with some wooden beams and plastic sheets to set up a provisional street home and seek shelter from the winter.
Private TV anchorwoman Popi Tsapanidou uploaded a picture in her blog showing a new homelss’ “home” behind a cafeteria at Syntagma Square in downtown Athens.
Greece’s society suffering under the strict austerity gets more and more the interest of international media. CNN international – a shocking report about an EU and EZ member state in the year 2011.
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CNN International _ Austerity & Economic Crisis Drive Greeks into street
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The victims of the economic crisis are definitely to find not only in the Greek capital. However the anonymity bigger in the four-million-inhabitants city and offers a good cover for the lost dignity.
