The presidential residence of Gabriel Boric, the leftist millennial leader of Chile, shares a street in Santiago, the capital, with a homeless shelter that’s now at full capacity. The sight of cardboard boxes and blankets strewn across sidewalks in Boric’s bohemian neighborhood are a sharp reminder of his struggle to fulfill his central promise to give Chileans “a better life.” A pandemic-induced recession combined with a housing crunch and a migrant influx has swelled Chile’s homeless population like never before. Over the last four years, the rate of homelessness has jumped 30%, transforming the streets of a country considered far more prosperous than its neighbors.
