The biggest misconception about the homeless is that they got themselves into the mess and that we should let them get themselves out. Many people think they are simply lazy, and it is often seen as a personal failing rather than a systemic problem.
With a larger Maltese population, there's a greater need for homes, which can outstrip the available supply, particularly for affordable housing.
On more than one occasion, Anthony Camilleri, head of the YMCA, has sternly warned that homelessness in Malta is on the increase, so much so that up to 2023, 107 homeless individuals required support from his organisation. The reasons therefor are varied and quite complex.
In fact, in 2022, Malta had an average of 236 homeless individuals per day. While there is no comprehensive, official count of all homeless individuals, various sources indicate a significant increase in homelessness cases. In the last ten years, 2,147 men ended up homeless, with the worst year being 2020, when 324 men were caught in this problem. Even more shocking was the fact that, out of that total count, 517 were minors between 2012 and 2022.
Notwithstanding the constant rise in numbers, the spectre of homelessness in Malta has been adeptly omitted from the national social agenda.
Financial difficulties are the primary cause for people ending up homeless, with addiction, domestic violence, mental health issues and broken relationships accounting for the rest. A major cause for concern, however, is the plight of migrants. Most of them do not come to Malta willingly, and they commonly enter with issues about mental health and addiction. Those who are regular and lawful migrants typically work low-skilled jobs such as in construction, domestic work or manual labour, providing them with the minimum wage or a wage only slightly higher than that. Many, consequently, end up homeless, as it is far from easy for them to sustain a good lifestyle for themselves after receiving assistance from the few available emergency homeless shelters.
Over and above all this shocking scenario, there is a grave downside to the social plague of homelessness. Many will recall when and how, last June, a dozen homeless individuals were arraigned in court charged with begging and leading a vagrant life after allegedly importuning customers going in and out of heavily frequented supermarkets.
Was that a case of adding insult to injury?
While it's true that living a vagrant and idle life is a contravention against public order under Maltese law, we cannot ignore the intricate relationship between begging and homelessness.
For a person living on the streets, obtaining money is a daily struggle. Begging often isn't a choice but a necessity.
As we move further towards being a cashless society, it's becoming even more difficult for those facing homelessness to find access to money. But this struggle isn't something new; whether due to social prejudices, a lack of compassion or legal issues, begging is challenging.
We're all aware of the stereotypes and prejudices surrounding people who live on the streets. Passers-by are often reluctant to hand over their cash, concerned that the receiver will potentially spend any money they're given on other substances.
Quite often, one of the biggest struggles faced is being treated equally and with respect. Receiving unkind treatment or being ignored is commonplace. Any source of conversation is often few and far between.
It's no wonder that 80% of those facing homelessness struggle with mental health difficulties.
Begging is illegal and has been so for years. Yet for many people facing homelessness, it's their way of survival. It's how they access food and emergency accommodation.
Even legal restrictions can't stop people desperate enough for help. While some people will find loopholes in the legislation by busking for money, others risk arrest by begging to satisfy their basic human needs.
Ending homelessness doesn't mean that no one will ever lose their home again.
The idea of focusing on preventing homelessness is well developed across Malta, but gaps still exist that stop some people from getting the help they need when they need it most. The government must provide enough funding for local councils and other relevant organisations to step in when they need to. We also need to address the ongoing failure of state institutions to prevent people from falling into homelessness when leaving their care.
A strong legal system underpins all solutions to ending homelessness. While Malta already has some of the most forward-thinking homelessness legislation, people still fall through gaps in the system. Our legal system protects hundreds from homelessness each year, but there is more to do.
We need a complete safety net of legal protection for all homeless people, based on key principles. Every homeless person is deserving of help. They should be able to access help wherever and whenever they need it. Local authorities and other public bodies should have robust duties to prevent homelessness. And there should be clear regulatory oversight of how they discharge their duties under the legislation.
A lot of local communities pretend they don't have homeless people and just ignore them or try to make them go away. We have come dangerously close to accepting the homeless situation as a problem that we just can't solve.
To end homelessness, we will need the government to think strategically. It must work across all relevant government departments, at a local and national level, on a shared long-term vision of how to make it a reality.
Dr Mark Said is a lawyer