GSD Raises Further Concerns Over Government’s Westside Housing Plans

The Opposition says previous housing projects have faced delays and is questioning whether the latest plans will be delivered on time.

A statement from the GSD follows below:

It is staggering that the GSLP continue to erect red herrings in a bid to distract from their  broken promises on housing. 

On the building of affordable or rental housing it is clear that their much repeated projects have  been delayed (some for over a decade) or not done at all. It is very clear that they are now, for  nothing other than obvious electoral purposes seeking to hoodwink a sizeable sector of the  electorate – individuals who are desperate to purchase their own homes on an affordable basis  – into believing that an extra 2,300 flats will, like magic, be made available to them.  

Damon Bossino said: “Let us make no mistake. The Government has breached its promise as  to timelines already on this new scheme as the land should have been reclaimed and building  started by now. 

The Government has little credibility on housing given their repeated electoral commitments  in successive general elections in 2011, 2019 and 2023 that they would build rental housing.  They have failed to deliver on each and every occasion. It is an absolutely undeniable fact that  the last rental estate was built by the GSD.” 

Keith Azopardi, the Leader of the Opposition said: “The GSD will not fall into the usual trap  of GSLP diversionary tactics, but it cannot allow them to manipulate the narrative on the basis  of incorrect numbers. For there to be an honest analysis, the proper comparative figures for  low cost housing are therefore approximately 1300 under the GSD as against (according to  them) 1,742 under the four last GSLP administrations. Also, in so far as sales of post war flats  to sitting tenants the parliamentary record shows that sales were happening as recently as a few  years ago. It is hard to believe sales in 2020 were still commitments of a previous  administration.” 

The fact is that the Government simply cannot be believed but they continue to confuse and  attempt to lull people into thinking that by some waving of a magic wand their most recent  announcement on the 2,300 flats will, on this occasion, somehow become reality.