A record number of elderly people sought help from the YMCA in 2024, with 39 clients aged 60 and above turning to the organisation for support – three of whom were over 80 years old.
Anthony Camilleri, CEO of YMCA, which provides services to the homeless, highlighted that this marks a stark contrast to a few years ago, when such cases were rare. “Pensions are not enough versus the cost of living,” Camilleri explained when addressing why more elderly individuals are turning to YMCA services.
He also attributed the rise to limited spaces in care homes and stricter eligibility criteria that exclude those who are relatively independent but still vulnerable.
In 2023, the YMCA assisted 36 clients in the 60-plus age group, slightly fewer than in 2024. However, the numbers were drastically lower in 2022, with only 17 clients in this category, reflecting a troubling upward trend.
This pattern is not limited to the elderly. Camilleri noted that Maltese nationals now represent the majority of YMCA’s clients – a trend that has grown over the past two years.
“Maltese are now the highest, and it’s increasing,” he said. Of the 453 individual cases handled in 2024, 244 involved Maltese clients. This is a substantial increase from the 350 total cases recorded in 2023, 175 of which involved Maltese nationals.
Camilleri revealed that financial difficulties and family disputes remain the leading causes for Maltese clients seeking YMCA’s help. He added that the shelter is operating at near-full capacity throughout the year. “It is very rare we actually have a free bed,” he said.
Another striking rise, however, has been among individuals experiencing rooflessness. In 2024, the YMCA recorded 150 cases of rooflessness – a nearly fourfold increase from the 42 cases in 2023.
Camilleri suggested that this could be partially due to increased visibility of homeless individuals and more people reaching out for help. However, he also pointed to systemic changes, such as the removal or modification of benches to deter sleeping, as well as increased monitoring in public spaces, which have left the roofless with fewer places to stay.
Camilleri urged the public to assist individuals experiencing rooflessness by providing consumables and contacting YMCA to report their whereabouts. “Our team can offer support,” he explained, noting that reports can be made via YMCA’s social media accounts or through direct phone calls.
Despite efforts from NGOs, Camilleri stressed that Malta still lacks a unified national strategy to address homelessness. “It is worrying, and what we are doing is not enough,” he said, expressing concern that NGOs work in isolation rather than collaboratively.
He called for a comprehensive national plan that includes clear legal definitions, accurate statistics, and a coordinated approach to addressing homelessness.
“We can’t have a whole strategy on poverty, and homelessness remains simply a sentence in it,” he added. “There is no plan.”