Action for Housing have invited the Minister for Housing Steven Linares to accompany them to visit Carrera’s Passage to witness “the dire housing conditions in which some people live and which should not be allowed in our community.”

A statement continued:

“Plans have been filed for a major development at Rooke site which will mix low-rise commercial spaces, green parks, and also three residential towers. We welcome any project that will generate economic benefits in these very difficult times. However, the further construction of more market-priced residential flats, although positive in one respect, is an affront to those local residents who continue to live in appalling conditions.

“It is obvious that the Government's refusal to construct housing for rental, other than for the elderly, will condemn these unfortunate people, who are in desperate need of government housing, to further long delays. These include urgent medical and social cases and those living in derelict flats in the private sector. Not forgetting the large group of young individuals caught in a vacuum of not being able to afford to purchase the so called affordable 50-50 properties, let alone the exorbitant private rentals.

“Before the pandemic, Ministers Linares and Cortes accompanied us to visit the homes of some families at Carrera’s Passage and they were visibly shocked at what they witnessed.

“During the last few weeks, Minister Linares has been visiting some of our estates, something that we welcome. However, for him to be able to appreciate first-hand how the more alienated members of our society live in very substandard accommodations, he would have to devote some time in visiting these individual homes.

“We, therefore, publicly invite Minister Linares to accompany us to visit some of these houses. The tenants concerned will appreciate the visits, and the Minister will most probably benefit from an experience which will reveal to him the dire housing conditions in which some people live and which should not be allowed in our community.”