Homelessness in Cali

Cali, Colombia – March 2024

According to the Cali City Council, Cali has the highest number of homeless people per capita in Colombia. Located in the agriculturally rich and fertile Andean Valle del Cauca, with a year-round pleasant tropical climate, Cali allows many people who find themselves on the margins of Colombian society to survive for years on the streets. Although living on the streets is, of course, very difficult in social, sanitary, and security terms, Cali can be said to offer ideal conditions for homelessness: the weather is warm both day and night, leftovers from fruit and vegetable vendors are always available on the streets, and shops in the city center generate tons of waste daily that can be collected and sold for recycling for a few pesos, allowing homeless people to survive another day.