NGO calls for emergency shelters for homeless ex-convicts

Malta has long regarded itself as a place where ‘extreme poverty’, of the kind that permeated the country in pre-Independence years, had more or less been eradicated over the years through sustained social security programmes.

Yet recent evidence indicates that this may in part be an illusion. Certainly one cannot compare today’s situation with the Malta of yesteryear – often remembered for its characteristically barefoot multitudes (hence the colloquial expression ‘hafi’ to signify ‘penniless’).

But just as Malta’s economic fortunes appear to be on the rise – as evidenced by revisions to our economic outlook by credit rating agencies such as Standard and Poor’s – the country’s soft white underbelly of poverty seems to be likewise growing at an alarming rate.

At a recent seminar organised by the Anti-Poverty Forum, it was revealed that some 400 people a year find themselves in a temporary or permanent state of homelessness, and forced to seek shelter from a limited number of voluntarily-run temporary homes.

Already a significant figure for such a small population, the statistic of 400 may actually fall far short of the actual extent of homelessness in Malta. Statistics were limited only to those who already avail themselves of services provided by homeless shelters. The elderly, persons with disability and children were all excluded from the list, though constituting the sectors most likely to be affected by extreme poverty in any country.

The same seminar discussed a number of factors that may contribute to the phenomenon: domestic violence, drugs, unavailability of affordable housing, and so on. There is one level, however, in which the situation appears to be the direct result of policies traditionally pursued by all Maltese governments, regardless of political colour.

Though not necessarily a large contributor to the phenomenon, it remains a fact that some of the 400 annually registered as homeless concern individuals recently released from prison.

George Busuttil, director of prisoners’ rights NGO Mid-Dlam ghad Dawl, confirms that a not insignificant number of the people annually released from the Corradino Correctional Facility find themselves without a roof over their heads from one day to the next.

“We’re not talking about hundreds of people, but there can be no doubt that the people in this category are part of those 400,” he told MaltaToday. “I had a case just yesterday. I received a phone call from prison, telling me about an inmate who was about to be released. He had nowhere to stay, and no money to pay for accommodation. He had no choice but to end up on the street. This was not a one-off case, either. It happens often.”

Mid-Dlam ghad-Dawl runs a shelter of its own, but like other such services – the YMCA, Suret il-Bniedem, etc. – space and funding are lacking.

“When admitting people we ask for a small contribution of 20 euros to go towards funding the service. Very often it turns out that the people can’t pay. We still admit them, naturally. But there is a problem here: there are too few services available to people in this situation.”

Busuttil explains that applying for social housing in such circumstances is ‘next to impossible’, as there are waiting lists and priority is given to families. Private rental accommodation does not cater for this category, either.

“Even the cheapest places to rent will ask for anything between 800 and 1,000 euros up front as a deposit for water and electricity, to cover insurance, and other expenses. Many people leaving prison simply don’t have that kind of money. They don’t even have the 20 euros we ask for here...”

Mid-Dlam Ghad-Dawl is not the only entity to have raised the alarm over this situation. Speaking at the Anti-Poverty Front’s event, President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca likewise expressed concern that a large number of homeless people were “youths who had just come out of prison”.

The President appealed for the introduction of “a social wage for those on the minimum wage who are not making ends meet”. In the interim, however, George Busuttil argues that emergency measures, even if temporary, need to be established for the benefit of those caught up in such circumstances today.

“Time and again I keep hearing the same message: the existing homeless shelters are always full-up.” he said. “There is need for more shelters to accommodate the growing number of people who end up homeless for various reasons, whether or not these have anything to do with prison.”