Public furniture, such as benches or lounge chairs, is intended for city residents to take short breaks. But in Bratislava’s Petržalka district, they have become a permanent place for homeless people to spend the night, sparking controversy over the use of public space and the limits of social responsibility.
The situation has escalated on Rovniankova Street, where two wooden lounge chairs in a green area near the Kaufland supermarket have begun to be used regularly as beds. According to the publication Bratislavský Večerník, a local photographer documented homeless people sleeping on the lounge chairs for most of the day. This restricts access to the recreational area for other residents, particularly those living in nearby buildings, for whom these lounge chairs were originally installed.
Is this a violation of the law?
The mere presence of a homeless person or their sleeping in a public place is not a criminal offense in itself, provided they do not disturb the peace, behave aggressively, or are heavily intoxicated. This creates a complex situation: on the one hand, public spaces should be accessible to everyone; on the other hand, they are being used for purposes other than their intended ones.
Thus, although technically no one is breaking the law, the situation points to a broader social problem that cannot be solved by police intervention alone.
Where to Turn for Help in Petržalka and Bratislava
This is not the first time the Petržalka district has faced the problem of homelessness, so local authorities have specialized services to provide assistance. The district administration assures that its social workers regularly monitor the situation. Since April 2026, a new mobile social service for crisis intervention (terénna sociálna služba krízovej intervencie, or TSSKI) has even been operating here.
For people living on the streets, there are a number of organizations in Bratislava that provide shelter, food, and assistance:
- Misionárky lásky Betlehem—provides short-term housing and food for men. The shelter is located at Rovniankova 10, on the same street where the sleeping benches are located.
- Vagus — one of the best-known organizations helping the homeless. It operates the Domec day center, and its team of social workers (street workers) operates throughout the city. SOS emergency hotline: 0949 655 555.
- Depaul Slovensko operates the city’s largest night shelter on Ivánska cesta, which can accommodate up to 200 people.
The situation with the sleeping platforms in Petržalka shows that solving the problem of homelessness requires not bans, but the development of an effective social assistance system that can offer people a real alternative to sleeping on the street.
