A building in Naxxar is being developed into a living space that fits 14 people who, after concluding their rehabilitation for substance abuse, have nowhere to live.

Caritas Malta's Director, Anthony Gatt, said that this space in Nutar Debono Street will be dedicated for people have nearly fully recovered from their substance abuse through Caritas' processes. He noted that this process can take around two years before getting to this point.

The Naxxar plot is currently still in shell form.

This place will not serve as a permanent residence for people being assisted by Caritas. Director Gatt said that residents will be allowed to reside here for six months, with the possibility to extend this to a maximum of two years. It is aimed for this site to serve as a temporary residence till its residents get back on their feet accommodation-wise.

Gatt stated that this Naxxar residence will prioritise taking in women with children as well as youths. He mentioned that men have a halfway house at Dar Charles Miceli in Mosta.

"We want to maximise the rehabilitation potential for every person to make it," Gatt said.

He said that this project would not be possible without Caritas' collaboration with the Housing Authority, nor without the €730,000 in funds given by the Housing Authority. Caritas Malta also applied for EU funds to facilitate this project.

Gatt observed that this multi-storey Naxxar building was donated to Caritas Malta by a local family, who conducted this "great act of generosity with the wish for us to go ahead with this project."

Housing Minister Roderick Galdes said that through this collaboration, the Housing Authority and Caritas Malta are uniting under one vision to grant an opportunity to people doing or concluding their rehabilitation, before returning to their local communities.

Galdes praised Caritas Malta's work and stated that the people who will reside in this Naxxar plot will benefit from guidance and a stable environment through Caritas' specialised services - services that will hopefully result in permanent change, he said.

The Housing Minister stated that "we believe that housing is more than having a roof over our heads. It signals dignity and the foundation on which people build their lives upon."

Minister Galdes concluded his intervention by thanking Caritas Malta for its "impressive work everyday," as well as for believing in people to change for the better. He also thanked the workers and professionals who are turning "our vision into reality."

Following these interventions, Gatt presented Galdes, Housing Authority CEO Matthew Zerafa, and the architect responsible for this project each with a copy of its publication "Inħobbkom."

This book is dedicated to Caritas Malta's former director, Mgr Victor Grech, who passed away in February 2025. These three were also presented with a memento inscribed with Mgr Grech's final words, "Inħobbkom"; this gift was handmade by people being assisted by Caritas Malta, Director Gatt said.