The number of genuine calls on the 179 helpline that were linked to homelessness increased from 158 in 2013 to 507 in 2022.

According to a breakdown by Social Justice Minister Michael Falzon in reply to a parliamentary question by PN MP Ivan Falzon, calls about homelessness saw a steady increase over the past decade, peaking at 645 in 2020.

That was the year the COVID pandemic spread across the world.

That year, the number of calls to the helpline about homelessness made up five per cent of the total calls to 179.

This compares to 2 per cent of all calls in 2013 being about homelessness when a total of 10,068 genuine calls were made to 179 about several issues.

In 2020, a total of 13,906 genuine calls were made to the helpline. 

The number dropped slightly to 13,565 genuine calls in 2021 and 12,515 genuine calls in 2022.

This means that out of all genuine calls made to 179 in 2021 and 2022, four per cent were about homelessness.