The changing face of homelessness: it’s no longer only about the poor

‘We are no longer dealing with just the poor, we are also dealing with the professional and middle class educated person who can become homeless’ - urban anthropologist Rachel Scicluna

Homelessness in Malta is no longer an affliction which only the poor are susceptible to; people from the professional classes are at an increased risk of falling through the social safety net and the institutional gaps, a conference on ‘Adequate Housing as a Human Right’ heard on Friday.

The conference, an eye-opener organised jointly by Maltese MEP Alex Agius Saliba and the Ministry for Social Accommodation, brought together a range of academics, policy-makers and politicians to discuss the problems of homelessness, and of rooflessness, in Malta and in Europe.

Over the last few years, in particular, the issue of homelessness has been rearing its ugly head in Malta perhaps more than ever, necessitating serious discussion such as Friday’s, as well as concrete solutions, which are somewhat more difficult to come by.

During one such discussion on Friday, urban anthropologist Rachel Scicluna turned the common belief that homelessness in Malta is a scourge affecting only the poor on its head.

According to Dr Scicluna, “the face of homelessness is changing”.

As matters currently stand in Malta, the spectre of homelessness is no longer necessarily strictly related to an individual’s financial precariousness, but, rather, a combination of factors that could lead a person to find themselves without a roof over their head she explains.

As Dr Scicluna observed on Friday, “Obviously there has been social mobility and better education, especially in Malta where education is accessible to all, so we are dealing with almost middle-class people who might end up in a situation that is related to homelessness.”

More and more people are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, Dr Scicluna explains, and younger couples are feeling the strain of rising housing costs, be it on the rental or the buyers’ market.

“So when it comes to homelessness, we are dealing more with a professional cohort and also with people who have mental issues. Homelessness could happen to anybody,” Dr Scicluna warns.

“For example, you could lose a partner and end up with mental health problems, and you might even lose your employment as a result, and this could contribute toward one ending up in a precarious position.

“We are no longer dealing with just the poor; we are also dealing with the professional and middle class educated person who can become homeless.

“And I would add another layer on to that: our society has also promised the middle classes that they will have a prosperous future. So on top of that, we might add to the mix frustration, fear, and also of devastation related to a promise that has not been honoured by the State.”

The situation, in Dr Scicluna’s view, is an increasingly complex one, but she believes that it can be successfully addressed if the country we create a system that “transcends siloism, is not fragmented, where we are talking to each other and know about what is happening on the ground. Only then will we be able to address these issues”.

A new a housing pathway

Attitudes toward homeownership versus renting accommodation are shifting in Malta, but perhaps not quickly enough.

Once upon a time, Dr Scicluna explains, in Malta, we were used to either social housing or private homeownership.

“Whoever fell into the category of private rented accommodation was seen as ‘poor’.

“What we need to do is to create that next step, that helping hand to offer a pathway, which I like to call a housing pathway so that people who fall off the housing ladder can reintegrate with dignity.

“We also tend to have this very dominant narrative in Malta, which is market-led, that we must become homeowners.

“Let me remind everyone that homeownership was a post-war narrative that was physically needed, countries were physically destroyed, and what we might need to do is to shift this narrative as well.”

The conference, organised jointly by MEP Alex Agius Saliba and the Ministry, was also addressed by Agius Saliba, Social Accommodation Minister Roderick Galdes, President of the Socialists & Democrats Iratxe Garcia Perez, Housing Authority Chief Executive Officer Leonid Mckay, Housing Europe Secretary General Sorcha Edwards, S&D Group Vice-President Pedro Marques, Joe Darmanin from the Malta Development Bank, Dr Kurt Xerri from the University of Malta and European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit.

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This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author’s view. The action was co-financed by the European Union in the frame of the European Parliament's grant programme in the field of communication. The European Parliament was not involved in its preparation and is, in no case, responsible for or bound by the information or opinions expressed in the context of this action. In accordance with applicable law, the authors, interviewed people, publishers or programme broadcasters are solely responsible. The European Parliament can also not be held liable for direct or indirect damage that may result from the implementation of the action.

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