Moscow to expand homeless programme

A pilot program to help the homeless in Moscow will be expanded and made permanent, Russian officials said Thursday. Plans include establishing a hotline with a three-digit phone number, RIA Novosti reported. The number will be available for either the homeless seeking assistance or for people who want to get help for someone else. Andrei Mudritsky, who is in charge of aid for the homeless for the city government, was one of the participants in a conference at the French Embassy on Thursday organized by an advocacy and aid group, SamusocialMoskva. "We shouldn't just wait for a call for help, we should go to the people ourselves," Mudritsky said. The Social Patrol, which began in 2009, operates 10 vans and has 400 volunteers in foot patrols. Its workers provide clothing, food, medical help and advice on rehabilitation. By 2017, the patrol will have 50 vans, Mudritsky said. An estimated 10,000 to 12,000 people live on the streets in Moscow.