Alejandra and Richard Gere are joining #NoMiresAOtroLado (“Don’t Look the Other Way”), a national campaign launched by OpticaPRO, HOGAR SÍ, and The Gere Foundation to bring visibility to homelessness in Spain and mobilize society around a problem that has a solution. The campaign will begin airing on Spain’s main television networks in early May 2026, placing this issue at the center of the national conversation.
A National Campaign to Make Homelessness Visible
The #NoMiresAOtroLado campaign is built on a conviction shared by all three partner organizations: the first step toward ending homelessness is acknowledging it. Looking it in the eye. People experiencing homelessness are part of our society and yet, day after day, they are systematically rendered invisible on our streets.
The initiative combines awareness, investment, and direct action, with the goal of engaging both citizens and the business community in a collective response. It will launch on Spain’s leading TV networks in early May 2026, bringing this message into millions of homes.
Alejandra and Richard Gere are participating entirely pro bono, in line with a commitment they have sustained for more than a decade — strengthened in 2024 with their appointment to the HOGAR SÍ board of trustees.
Richard Gere’s Personal Testimony: The Experience That Changed Everything
In the campaign’s central video, Richard Gere shares an experience that profoundly shaped his perspective on homelessness:
“A few years ago, while filming my movie Time Out of Mind, I spent days walking the streets of New York playing a man who lived on the street. I moved through the city without being recognized. Without being seen. In that silence, I understood something important, something profound: what it feels like to become invisible. When people choose not to see you. That experience changed me forever.”
That immersive experience during the 2014 filming of Time Out of Mind planted a commitment that has grown into sustained action. The actor frames the goal with unmistakable clarity: “For more than ten years, my wife Alejandra and I have been working alongside HOGAR SÍ driven by a shared goal: that no one should live on the streets of Spain in 2030.”
Homelessness in Spain: A Reality That Demands Action
The data confirms the urgency. According to Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE), at least 28,552 people experience homelessness in Spain — a figure that has grown by 24.5% over the past decade. HOGAR SÍ estimates that the actual number could exceed 37,000 people, since official figures do not capture those sleeping rough outside the formal care network.
Key indicators that frame this reality:
- 7.7% of Spain’s population has experienced housing difficulties at some point in their lives, according to 2024 Eurostat data.
- Nearly 40% of people experiencing homelessness have been in that situation for more than three years, evidence of how deeply chronic this problem becomes.
- In 2024, an average of 33,758 adults were housed each day in care centers — a 55.7% increase compared to 2022.
- 82% of people experiencing homelessness identify housing as the primary path out of homelessness.
These figures reinforce something both HOGAR SÍ and The Gere Foundation have championed for years: homelessness is not an individual failing but a structural and solvable problem. The path forward runs through stable housing, personalized support, and a fundamental shift in how society sees this issue.
OpticaPRO: The Human Side of Optics
OpticaPRO is a network of independent optical practices with more than 120 locations and over 600 professionalsacross Spain’s optical and hearing care sector. Its tagline — “the human side of optics” — captures an approach to the profession built on closeness, care, and commitment to the people it serves every day.
With this campaign, OpticaPRO takes another step in its social mission. The company’s debut in mass media is dedicated precisely to amplifying a cause: homelessness. A choice fully consistent with its values, and a powerful example of how the business community can become an ally of social change.
HOGAR SÍ and The Gere Foundation: A Decade-Long Alliance
HOGAR SÍ is a Spanish nonprofit organization founded in 1998. It works on the conviction that homelessness can be ended through housing-based solutions, focusing on the problem itself rather than on the people who experience it. HOGAR SÍ is a national reference in methodologies such as Housing First and Housing Led — models that have repeatedly demonstrated that providing a stable home is the foundation on which people rebuild their lives.
The Gere Foundation has stood alongside HOGAR SÍ for more than ten years as a strategic ally. Our mission is to amplify the voices and efforts of organizations, institutions, and courageous individuals who share our core values. We believe in active listening, joint decision-making, and walking shoulder to shoulder with those already working on the ground with bold solutions to complex challenges.
A Solution Within Reach: The 2030 Horizon
Richard Gere puts it in terms that leave no room for resignation:
“Homelessness has a solution. People can rebuild their lives. We have seen it again and again. A home and the right support can restore stability, dignity, and a sense of future. If we truly commit to this, we can end homelessness in Spain by 2030. It’s there, it’s within reach, and it depends on all of us.”
That is, ultimately, what #NoMiresAOtroLado asks of each of us: stop looking away. Recognize that homelessness runs through our society and that proven solutions exist, partnerships are possible, and citizens are ready to act when they are offered a meaningful path forward.
Visibility is the first step. From there, action.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the #NoMiresAOtroLado campaign? It is a national campaign launched by OpticaPRO, HOGAR SÍ, and The Gere Foundation, set to begin airing on Spanish television in May 2026. The name translates as “Don’t Look the Other Way,” and the campaign aims to raise visibility of homelessness in Spain and mobilize a social and corporate response.
Why are Alejandra and Richard Gere involved in this campaign? Alejandra and Richard Gere are participating on a fully pro bono basis. Their commitment to ending homelessness goes back more than a decade, and since 2024 they have served as members of the HOGAR SÍ board of trustees.
How many people experience homelessness in Spain? According to Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE), at least 28,552 people. HOGAR SÍ estimates the real figure could exceed 37,000, once people sleeping rough outside the care system are taken into account.
Is it realistic to end homelessness in Spain? Yes. The campaign’s partner organizations, alongside Spain’s National Strategy to Combat Homelessness 2023-2030, argue that this is a structural problem with proven solutions — primarily centered on access to stable housing and personalized support.
How can I support the campaign? You can support the cause by visiting the websites of HOGAR SÍ, OpticaPRO, and The Gere Foundation, sharing the campaign on social media with the hashtag #NoMiresAOtroLado, and engaging with the work of the partner organizations.
The Gere Foundation supports humanitarian and human rights initiatives around the world, with a longstanding commitment to communities working toward dignity, justice, and compassion in action.
