‘I’ve been living under a tree for a month’: Paceville’s rough sleepers
In the heart of Malta’s nightlife district, hidden between gentlemen’s clubs, neon lights and crowds of tourists, around 40 to 50 people are sleeping rough, according to community workers.
Paceville’s rough sleepers rest in abandoned buildings during the winter and on beaches or under trees in the summer.
An area next to a bus stop near a rocky beach is littered with their belongings: empty bottles, wooden pallets and food remnants.
When Times of Malta visited, a man was lying asleep on a cardboard box broken down into a makeshift bed with a plastic cover acting as a blanket.
One man told Times of Malta he had been sleeping under a tree for the past month. It is a cramped arrangement, as he shares the space with three other men.
Before ending up homeless in Paceville, the 32-year-old, from Somalia, said he rented a property in Gżira and worked as a dishwasher and cleaner. However, after an accident that left him with a broken neck and in hospital for four months, he lost his job and, inevitably, his home.
“In winter, I plan to find another abandoned house in Paceville to sleep in,” he said. “I stay in Paceville because other African people are nearby, and they give me money sometimes.”
Those who find themselves homeless are of various nationalities – European, non-European and Maltese.
And their presence is causing alarm to residents living nearby.
Three residents said that, before the men lived on the central strip, they lived in an abandoned site where there was previously a crane, which, with time, became “a glorified skip”.
The residents near the central strip are made up of senior citizens and their carers. All of those who spoke to Times of Malta said they are scared to live in the area.
“I am frightened to walk out alone at night because sometimes the men start fighting,” one resident said.
Another expressed frustration with the authorities, stating: “It is pointless reporting them to the police or the council. They have forgotten about us or don’t care about Paceville residents anymore.”
They are concerned about the presence of drugs.
“Drugs are everywhere,” one said. “Even before they came, I would find drugs in my drainage pipes.”
The Somali man denied being involved in drugs, either using or selling them. However, Times of Malta also spoke to another homeless man, a 24-year-old, who admitted to selling drugs to sustain his substance addiction.
It is pointless reporting them to the police or the council. They have forgotten about us
He was sleeping on a nearby bench.
A wider nATionAl problem
A community worker from the Millennium chapel, who asked not to be named so he could continue to work safely in the area, said there are about 40 to 50 people living rough.
The chapel provides crucial support, including a clothes bank and a food bank as well as a daily hot drink and bread roll to those in need.
The nationalities of those left homeless are varied, as are the reasons they end up in this situation, he said.
For the Maltese, the issues are substance abuse, mental illness or lack of support after being released from prison.
For non-EU nationals, the situation is different.
“Many are fleeing their home countries due to legal issues or threats to their safety, or they came to Malta seeking work but couldn’t find any. Without a safety net, they are left homeless,” he said.
Working in low-paying jobs, dealing with poor rental conditions and having no support system when things go wrong can also lead to homelessness.
The worker emphasised that the issue extends beyond Paceville. There isn’t enough space in local shelters to accommodate everyone, he said.
Not just a Paceville problem. It’s a Malta problem
“This is not just a Paceville problem. It’s a Malta problem,” he added.
While the mayor of St Julian’s acknowledged the homelessness issue in Paceville, he was also keen to distance the rest of the locality from the problem.
“It is not fair to compare the whole of St Julian’s to Paceville. Balluta, the Gardens, Ta’ Giorni, the villlage, the old St Julian’s core and other areas in the locality do not have this issue. This is a Paceville problem,
which higher authorities should tackle as the local council can practically do nothing about.”
The mayor added that when the police were made aware of the men on the central strip, they went on site immediately. And, as homelessness is not illegal in itself, the police could only refer the men to seek help from the Millennium chapel.