Letters to the editor - October 4, 2024

Sleeping rough

The report on Paceville’s rough sleepers (September 19) made heartbreaking

reading.

It was even more shocking to note that a growing number of Maltese are sleeping rough. Of course, there should be no discrimination whatsoever between Maltese and foreigners from whichever country, since sleeping rough has some common denominators.

It is a brutal and exhausting experience. Without adequate shelter, these people are exposed to the harsh elements. This means heatstroke and dehydration in summer and hypothermia and possibly frostbite in extreme wintry weather.

Without a place to call home, people experiencing homelessness are at risk of violence and abuse. In fact, those who are homeless are more likely to be the victims of crime than the perpetrators.

The challenges faced by rough sleepers are multiple: financial and social exclusion, poor mental and physical health, exposure to extreme weather events, marginalisation and trauma.

While empathy for these people should never be withheld, we cannot, however, ignore the downside of rough sleeping, often associated with activities like begging, street drinking, substance misuse and other antisocial behaviour, all of which can have a negative impact on the wider community. Such homelessness is dangerous, frightening and isolating.

An empty plot in Paceville has been taken over by people who are sleeping rough. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Rough sleepers are not limited to Paceville, as they are sprouting in more than one other locality or community, not least here at Msida and its environs.

Perhaps local councils could consider issuing bye-laws for public gardens and open public spaces whenever rough sleepers pose a serious health and security problem.

Enforcing and informing them that they need to move on and how to access local support services should be the order of the day.

Still, I believe that rough sleeping is just the most visible tip of a far bigger iceberg of homelessness. It cannot be addressed as if it were a stand-alone, discrete issue.

The greatest challenge will remain trying to engage with and support them while reducing the impact on the wider public.

Mark Said – Msida