Y’Visible
“Together we are making homelessness and rooflessness in Malta visible!”
Homelessness and rooflessness in Malta is very often hidden from view. Unfortunately as a result, many believe it doesn’t exist – a total fallacy. Many cases of home/rooflessness in Malta entail what we call Hidden Homelessness: individuals and families hidden from public view who are living in shelters or moving from one friend or family member’s house to the next.
Everyday at Dar Niki Cassar, we work with individuals and families afflicted by home/rooflessness and all of the troubles and stress that come with this condition. Utilising a holistic care programme that embodies the YMCA ethos of mind, body, spirit, we strive to help them back towards independent living.
We are however limited by the total number of beds we have available at any given time. To mediate this limitation, a new outreach project called Y’ Visible was created in 2019. This project takes the care we offer at our residences directly to the streets. We create awareness and make these invisible people visible. Between 2020 and 2022, 107 individuals who were sleeping rough were supported by this service.
“Most importantly, we show them that someone cares, that someone is listening and that they are not alone.”
Every week when night falls, our team trawls the streets of Malta looking for people sleeping on the street. We supply them with food, drinks and warm blankets and provide them with vital information as to where they can find free internet access, showers and addiction and other therapeutic services. Most importantly, we show them that someone cares, that someone is listening and that they are not alone.
The general public can assist either by volunteering as part of the team and/or by reporting sightings of roofless people by contacting us at: info@ymcamalta.org
Together we are making homelessness and rooflessness in Malta VISIBLE!