unsheltered moments

Always remember you are braver than you believe

At the corner of the gas station, a silver Ford Focus is parked next to the mini market. Marion has been sleeping in her car for “not too long, about twenty months.” That particular morning, her sleeping bag was damaged and she decided to make the trip to Rose Haven, our distribution partner.

Bogotá, Colombia

Working hard while sleeping rough

Colombia has one of the highest levels of poverty and income inequality in Latin America, preventing more than half of the population from accessing formal employment and social protection.

Rotterdam, The Netherlands

NAS Rotterdam

How Dennis’ Sheltersuit was part of his journey towards housing in Rotterdam. He was sitting outside on a bench, when Bob first offered him a Sheltersuit. Six months later, we are invited for Dennis’ housewarming.

Los Angeles, USA

Unsheltered Moments L.A. – part 2

We’d like to introduce you to some of the people we’ve had to pleasure of meeting this winter when we were in Los Angeles with 530 Shelterbags from our social factory in Cape Town.

Los Angeles, USA

Unsheltered Moments L.A. – part 1

We’d like to introduce you to some of the people we’ve had to pleasure of meeting this winter when we were in Los Angeles with 530 Shelterbags from our social factory in Cape Town.

London, UK

“Try your hardest not to get used to it.”

William has survived without shelter for over twenty years following a family tragedy. Having recently lost his tent and belongings due to a council ‘clean up’, he now has to start again from nothing.

Arnhem, The Netherlands

Love of my life

Inge and her husband Björn were evicted after the unexpected death of their foster father and mentor. The couple, former sailors, are adventurous and strong. But after almost 3 years of illegal camping, with the fines to prove it, they long for a roof over their heads.

Cape Town, South Africa

Ubuntu: I am because we are

Major winter storms have led to flooding and power outages across Cape Town. The heavy rainfall creates hazardous situations for Cape Town’s unsheltered community, who risk being caught by flash floods. These extreme weather conditions pose a great danger to Cape Town’s vulnerable unsheltered.

Cape Town, South Africa

Surviving through friendship

Known as a compassionate and kind man with a love of nature, Jerald believes in living in peace and being understanding of each other. On his own, Jerald was an easy target to gangsters who would attack him. Forming friendships on the streets has been a critical survival tool as they each take care of one another.

Cape Town, South Africa

“If I can change, anyone can.”

Shane lives under the bridge with his unsheltered friends in Cape Town. When he was 17, Shane left school to work and support his family. His tough childhood led him to hang out with the wrong people and he ended up in prison. When he came out, he decided to live a different life on the street.

New York, USA

Six feet tall, yet invisible

“I’m so used to being invisible. People pass by me. I’m 6 foot tall! In American culture that’s pretty large! There were actually people that say: ‘oh I didn’t see you.” – Lotus, NY

Paris, France

Alexandre, his cat and his treasure

Meet Alexandre. For the past four years, Alexandre has been homeless on the streets of Paris. For a while, he found safety and security in a social housing estate, but after the building was sold, he had nowhere else to turn.

New York City, USA

The gift of sleep

After her life in Montana took an unexpected turn, Sandra evolved into a seasoned survivor on the streets of New York. “The hardest part of being homeless is exhaustion. I call sleep ‘the gift of sleep’ because it’s so hard to get.” – Sandra

Berlin, Germany

Kristina and the Artzmobil team

Berlin is facing one of the coldest winters in years – with temperatures falling below freezing. This winter, the Sheltersuit Foundation teamed up with Arztmobil (a mobile doctor’s van initiative), a programme organised by Caritas, to provide Sheltersuits to Berlin’s most vulnerable individuals.

Tucson, USA

Brian and his campmates

Panhandling at an intersection, we met Brian, a 36 year-old army veteran who served his country for 10 years and had three combat tours; two in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. A native of Dallas, Texas, Brian has been living on the streets in Tucson for nearly 5 years.

Los Angeles, USA

Eva and Lawrence

Parked in the neighborhood of Miracle Mile, Los Angeles is Eva. Eva, a Hungarian born in 1950, has travelled across the United States eight times in her car, which she now sleeps in at night. It is her home.

About this project

For this ongoing project, we engage with unhoused communities in various cities. The intimate documentary reflects the unraveling of society and exposes the equal measures of strength and vulnerability of each of its characters.

By capturing these raw moments in a new light, we challenge the mainstream representation of a growing, forgotten group. It reminds us that people who experience homelessness should neither be labeled nor disregarded. Everyone has a story to tell.