For six months, one Cypriot family has been searching for a new home for a man with severe disabilities.
Six months of phone calls, letters, applications and meetings with government departments, ministries, political parties, MPs and the Presidential Palace have yielded no result. Meanwhile, time is running out.
The man, whose identity is being withheld by Politis to protect his privacy, has been confined to a wheelchair since 2007. Days after undergoing open-heart surgery, he suffered a major stroke that left him paralysed on the right side of his body and unable to speak.
Since then, he has required daily care and support in every aspect of his life.
Today, however, his family's greatest concern is not his health but where he will live.
Appeals without a solution
In recent months, through his sister, Maria I., the man has sent repeated letters to the Interior Minister, the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, political parties and other authorities, outlining the situation he finds himself in.
In one letter, he explains that he currently lives in a house in a refugee settlement that has changed ownership twice. The current owner has asked him to leave because the property is needed for personal use.
"Unfortunately, there is no friend or family member who can help or accommodate me," he wrote, appealing for assistance in finding suitable housing.
In another letter, he explains that because of his disability he cannot move into just any property. The house must be fully accessible for a wheelchair user.
Yet the few properties that meet those requirements are advertised at rents far beyond his means.
"We've knocked on every door"
Speaking to Politis, his sister described a family that has exhausted every available option.
"For about six months we've been looking for a home that is both affordable and suitable for someone in a wheelchair," she said.
"The accessible homes we found could be counted on one hand, and rents started at €800 or €900 a month. We simply cannot afford them."
She explained that her brother's income, including welfare benefits and allowances, is largely consumed by expenses linked to his condition.
These include round-the-clock care, medication, medical supplies and part of the rent for the house where he currently lives.
His current rent is €400 per month, with €200 covered through a housing subsidy.
"We've knocked on every door, the Social Welfare Services, the Deputy Ministry of Welfare, the Interior Ministry, MPs, political parties, even the Presidency," she said.
"So far, no solution has been found."
"What happens after the first two months?"
According to the family, after repeated interventions, the Social Welfare Services recently informed them by telephone that if they locate a suitable property themselves, they may apply for assistance covering the first two months of rent.
"But that's not the problem," his sister said.
"We can't find a house, and even if we do, we can't afford it. They're telling us they'll cover the first two rents. What happens after that?"
She said her brother currently lives in a house with several problems, but the family has tolerated the conditions because it remains affordable.
"If another home isn't found, we have only two options," she said.
"Either we place him in an institution, which we cannot afford, or we leave him homeless."
Then came her family's simple plea:
"We're not asking for money. We're asking for a home."
