Trabajar a la intemperie de un refugio: el trabajo social frente a la situación de calle en el Uruguay

This work reflects on a certain vulnerability in the implementation of assistance programs for people experiencing homelessness in Uruguay. This vulnerability, which we conceptualize as "exposedness", is shaped by the relationships established between those who provide and those who receive these services. Through documentary analysis, a literature review, and an examination of the perceptions of those who must carry out these interventions, we begin to understand the fragile and complex context in which this assistance must be provided. First, the background, sources of information, and context that motivated this essay are presented. Then, the approach that the Ministry of Social Development (MIDES) provides to people experiencing homelessness is described, along with some of its defining characteristics and some of the associated problems that help identify this vulnerability. The final reflections point to how this "exposedness" is perpetuated by the gap between a certain promise, which serves as a leitmotif, and the actual possibilities of catalyzing movements toward the restoration of rights. We understand it as necessary and imperative, while continuing to address the social emergency, to move beyond managing poverty as an intervention strategy. The cost is high, both in terms of precarious lives and the increase in urban violence.