Around 200 people experiencing homelessness welcomed in under two years. This is the figure reported by the Guardian Angels for the male municipal shelter on via Ardara 8 in Sassari, a facility opened in December 2024 and entrusted to the management of the volunteer association.
The center offers a place to sleep, breakfast and dinner, the latter provided thanks to collaboration with Caritas. According to the volunteers’ latest report, 21 beds are currently available.
Behind the numbers are very different situations: people who have lost their homes after a separation or family difficulties, workers unable to afford housing costs, migrants, and citizens struggling with addictions or other forms of vulnerability.
A point of reference for people living on the street
The shelter on Via Ardara was established at the end of 2024 in response to the emergency caused by the unavailability of other accommodation facilities in the city.
Since then, Guardian Angels Sassari have provided the service every day, alongside activities carried out directly on the streets to support people experiencing homelessness.
Access to the facility is subject to certain rules. According to the association’s managers, guests must arrive by evening, observe the established schedules and maintain behavior compatible with living alongside others in the shelter.
A network linking volunteers and social services
The work on Via Ardara does not take place in isolation. The facility is part of the broader social services network of the Municipality of Sassari, which also includes emergency social assistance, street outreach units, temporary housing projects and other city shelters.
This collaboration makes it possible, whenever conditions allow, to go beyond simply responding to the nighttime emergency and build pathways toward social, employment and housing reintegration.
The issue remains particularly significant for the area. The Municipality recently reported more than 1,100 people experiencing homelessness in the area comprising Sassari, Porto Torres and Stintino, out of a population of around 160,000.
The Guardian Angels are asking citizens for help
To support the shelter’s work, the volunteers have also appealed to the Sassari community.
The items most needed include personal hygiene products, underwear, socks, towels, sheets and shoes.
Small contributions that, in the daily management of an accommodation facility, can make a tangible difference. With around 200 people having passed through the shelter since it opened, the Guardian Angels’ work continues to represent one of the city’s safeguards against marginalization and life on the streets.