Exploring the realities of living in Malta’s homeless shelters

Abstract

In light of recent observations of increased homelessness in Malta, and the lack of information surrounding local homeless shelters and local homelessness in general, this research seeks to provide an updated portrayal of the situation and obtain feedback regarding homeless shelters in Malta, as described by service users. This was done by conducting semi-structured interviews with five residents of various homeless shelters in Malta which were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. The major findings emerged in the form of a number of themes. When discussing the factors that participants believed contributed to them becoming homeless, intimate partner violence, in some form, was present in the narratives of at least three participants, while the weakening of family structures was also present in three narratives. The major themes also suggest that while the overall state of homeless shelters is of a fairly decent standard, some issues do exist. Many participants reported varying levels of hygiene in many shelters, and also reported experiencing some element of difficulty in living with other people. Furthermore, some participants reported difficulty abiding by strict time-schedules, having issues with certain regulations, and also, finding sharing spaces to be a challenge. Relationships with staff members and access to different forms of support were reported to be very good, and many participants appreciated more flexible operational systems which allowed them a certain degree of autonomy. Shelters were also reported to be relatively safe, especially when compared to foreign literature, with participants stating that when incidents did occur in the form of fights or theft, sufficient and timely action was taken by staff members or shelter management. In conclusion, it appears that while there is room for improvement, many service users appreciated the presence of homeless shelters. Having said this, recommendations for future practice in the areas of social work and policy in the area of homelessness have emerged from the study. These include suggestions for improving hygiene, increasing accessibility to important commodities such as internet access, and maintaining service user satisfaction with staff relations. Furthermore, areas for future study have also been identified regarding topics such as assessments of the health needs of shelter users and a focus on the struggles of raising children in shelters.