Russia

Put Domoi (Journey Home) organise tournaments for those who do not have a home or are not legally registered in the country, as well as for people suffering from substance abuse. Put Domoi has been running the “Social rehabilitation through football” programme since 2003. In 2007, they created a street football league of 20 teams of homeless people, refugees, people affected by substance abuse, and representatives of other vulnerable groups.

Many people still perceive homeless people as criminals rather than unprotected population group, due to a long official tradition that criminalised homelessness and vagrancy. Problems for homeless people are aggravated by the lack of legislative and administrative measures (Kenneth and Marsh, 1999, p. 235).

Russia’s governmental statistics agency Rosstad has not collected any numbers on homeless people since 2010. The official number from that period – 64,000 – is thought to be far too low, and it is estimated that the real number is roughly 5 million (Euromaidan Press, 2017).

Around 19 million people, 13.3% of Russia’s population, live below the poverty line (CIA, 2017).