Exhibition Dreams Without a Roof sheds new light on homelessness in The Hague

January 2026, article

In the exhibition Dreams without a roof, voices that are often ignored are given the space to tell their story. Behind every face is a person with their own history and passion. Discover the stories of sixteen homeless residents of The Hague at the Kunstenplein in Amare from 12 to 30 Jan.

In October, the ETHOS figures were published, revealing that more than 7,200 people in The Hague are homeless. For many people, the word ‘homeless’ brings to mind a stereotypical image, but homelessness is more than the lack of a roof over one's head. “The number of people actually living on the streets is just the tip of the iceberg,” says advocate Sanne van Meggelen–Bakker on Den Haag FM. “There are also very many people who are houseless. They move from sofa to sofa, or stay in holiday parks, hotels, hostels or cars. The image people often have of homelessness is of people living on the streets, but it is a much bigger problem than that.”

To give these people a voice in a society that often looks the other way, van Meggelen–Bakker worked with photographer Peter van Beek and foundation Zona Luma, in collaboration with Het Straat Consulaat Den Haag for two years. The result is the exhibition Dreams without a roof – voices of the street. The photo series consists of sixteen portraits of homeless residents of The Hague, depicting their dreams and passions. Through this approach, the makers hope to show that people are so much more than their homelessness.

Alongside the portraits, each participant also recorded their own podcast, accessible via QR codes. “We didn’t just want to make portraits, but to truly tell the stories. To portray people not in their vulnerability, but rather in their strength, their dreams and their passions.”

The photo exhibition and accompanying stories can be found on the Kunstenplein from 12 to 30 January as part of Open Amare.