State offered housing to dead homeless woman – minister

Following the tragic discovery of a deceased homeless woman in an abandoned house in Limassol, Deputy Minister of Social Welfare and Social Insurance Marilena Evangelou said on Monday that efforts had been made to provide the woman with shelter.

She said the government’s immediate objective is to swiftly provide shelter for the homeless.

The body of the deceased woman was found on Saturday night, by another homeless man who was using the same spot for shelter.

Evangelou said she was known to social welfare services, highlighting the recurrent efforts made to secure housing for the woman. Despite the efforts, the woman continued to reside in the vacant property where her lifeless body was found.

However, Evangelou did not disclose any personal information about who she was.

“Due to privacy concerns, I cannot give out more information about the deceased woman,” she said, following discussions with the Cyprus Confederation of Disabled People (CCDP) at the transport ministry.

“Our primary concerns and goals for homeless people are to provide them with immediate shelter and support.”

She acknowledged the collaboration with the State Health Service (Okypy) and other support services provided by the state.

Evangelou also urged the public to report information about homeless individuals to relevant authorities, reiterating the commitment to eliminating homelessness in Cyprus.

An autopsy on the body of the deceased woman, scheduled for Monday afternoon, is expected to shed light to the cause of her death.