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Social policies are a priority for the Government. The Generalitat is preparing the largest investment ever made in Catalonia aimed at improving people's lives. From now until 2026, the Department of Social Rights will allocate 400 million euros from European Next Generation funds to aid projects for the most vulnerable groups, to reinforce, transform and promote the set of social services. A good part of the aid, which will be resolved at the beginning of May, also serves to carry out the Government's own projects and also to promote initiatives by social entities through subsidies.
The aim is to contribute to improving social protection in the country and move towards a model that guarantees the basic needs of citizens. A model centered on the right to an independent life, which fosters one's own abilities, and which above all ensures equal opportunities.
The Next Generation funds allocated to Drets Socials will be allocated to a wide range of citizens, such as the elderly, disabled, homeless, or suffering from mental health problems, as well as children and young people. The objective is to improve the quality of life of the most vulnerable groups and that no one is left behind in Catalonia.
In total, more than 300 social initiatives from all over Catalonia will receive Next Generation EU funds to develop their projects to help the most vulnerable groups. In Barcelona, for example, a new assisted residence for the elderly is planned on Benavent street, in Les Corts, where environments similar to those of a private home will be created; and the expansion of the Can Serra residence for people with intellectual disabilities, in l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, to adapt it to the person-centred care model, with coexistence units that will promote personal autonomy.
In the city of Girona, photovoltaic energy systems will be installed in the Creu de Palau and Puig d'en Roca nursing homes, and the Els Arcs residence for the elderly in Figueres will be renovated.
In the town of Tarragona, the transformation of the Antiga Ciutat de Repòs de Tarragona into a youth hostel to promote the emotional well-being of children, adolescents and young people is already underway. Tortosa, for its part, will host one of the 13 integrated care units for child and adolescent victims of sexual violence known as Barnahus, which will exist throughout Catalonia. Also in the demarcation of Lleida, in the capital of Segrià and in Seu d'Urgell, two more Barnahus units will be launched. In Lleida, in addition, the Empresseguera residence will be reformed, for people with mental disabilities with behavioral disorders.
The Department of Social Rights will also launch transversal projects for the entire territory, such as initiatives for the digital transformation of the department and review of citizen service models; it will update programs such as Connecta't al Voluntariat, Carnet Jove or Xarxa Òmnia, and others that seek to reduce the digital divide or social exclusion and strengthen community relations.
The 400 million euros from the Next Generation EU funds are added to the Government's budget for Social Rights, which this year exceeds 3,500 million euros. Of these, more than 2,000 million will be allocated to address the challenge of independent living.
The first cases of coronavirus were reported at the end of 2019, and on March 11, 2020, covid-19 was declared by the WHO as a global pandemic. Beyond the strong impact on health, the consequences of the health crisis extended in all areas, especially the social and economic. To alleviate its effects, the European Union approved in July 2020 the Next Generation EU program endowed with 750,000 million euros to build the Europe of the future, more innovative, greener and more democratic.
