Seventy-eight per cent of the country’s street dwellers are in Suva.
This was found in a 2023 profiling exercise conducted by the Ministry of Social Protection in collaboration with civil society organisations.
Of the 200 individuals identified nationwide, 155 were located in Suva alone.
Speaking at the panel discussion on Suva City Council’s Voluntary Local Review (VLR), civil society representative Salote Malani described homelessness in Suva as a long-standing issue rooted in land scarcity and systemic urban planning challenges.
“We need to look through history and understand that there was already no land, that’s why we reclaimed land in Suva,” Ms Malani said.
“We continue to repeat history without changing the systems that brought us here.”
Ms Malani said the migration to Suva is largely driven by employment opportunities, but the COVID-19 pandemic revealed a deeper truth – many who became homeless in the city were able to return to their villages when economic activity halted.
“I’m sure most of the homeless are sons and daughters of landowners in nearby provinces.”
Ms Malani called for a more nuanced understanding of the social and cultural dimensions of homelessness.
“And I say this with a call, a clarion call, for us decision-makers to look into a 50-year plan for Suva.
“Our children will only be housed when they feel safe.
“If there is no safety, they will not stay. So how do we provide that safety within our respective responsibilities?”
Ms Malani also praised ordinary citizens who have taken the initiative to house street dwellers in their homes.
“These are the things that community can do. The top-down decision-making process is often slow, but from the bottom up, it’s impactful.
“I urge passionate citizens to join civil society efforts, bring your ideas, and help us shape real solutions together.”
