Lleida is supporting a set of community projects aimed at reducing unwanted loneliness, with the focus on rebuilding social networks across the city and wider Catalonia. Carles Alsinet, director of the UdL Social Innovation Chair, said the issue is linked to weaker community ties, not simply to living alone.
Alsinet said traditional ways of meeting, such as rotllanes and sessions a la fresca, have faded over time. He said this has reduced everyday spaces where neighbours once connected, affecting children, young people, adults and older people alike.
One of the projects linked to this work is Housing First, a programme developed by Lleida City Council, the Paeria de Lleida, for people who have experienced homelessness. Municipal sources said it currently supports 38 users in Lleida and has a waiting list of 15. More information on the council can be found at Paeria de Lleida.
Other initiatives include ARI-SOMCare, which provides companionship robots for people living alone, and Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran, which uses volunteers to improve social connection for hundreds of older residents in the mountains. The Vincles project identifies cases of loneliness through professional diagnosis, then offers community activities, such as workshops, and sometimes individual support.
Alsinet said loneliness should be treated as a community issue. He said the aim of these projects is to recover connection, while recognising that different groups need different responses. The work in Lleida is part of a wider effort to make sure that living alone does not mean being alone.
For more Catalonia-wide coverage, see our news page and the University of Lleida at UdL.
