With Greece's Austerity Comes Uptick In Homelessness

05:19

January 02, 2012

This article is more than 11 years old.

A child waits in line to receive food distributed from the Greek Orthodox Church in Athens, on Thursday. The leader of Greece's Orthodox Church is promising to boost its campaign to provide free meals to the poor and homeless amid the country's deepening financial crisis.(AP)

For the last year, the Greek government has been implementing harsh austerity plans to try to keep the country's cash-strapped economy afloat.

But the social cost of these policies is starting to become apparent. Where traditionally family and community used to help those going through a tough time, today everyone is in the same boat and that safety-net is breaking down. One of the effects has been a 25 percent increase in the number of homeless. From Athens, the BBC's Chloe Hadjimatheou reports.

This program aired on January 2, 2012.

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