Following the GSD’s statement on the recently announced delay of affordable housing, the Government have said the GSD’s comments do “nothing to offer any kind of reassurance or support to purchasers“.

A statement from the Government follows below:

The GSD have continued in their hypocritical criticism of everything the Government does, with no constructive alternatives proposed, this time on the issue of affordable housing.

In their critique, which does nothing to offer any kind of reassurance or support to purchasers, the GSD conveniently forget their own miserable record on affordable housing; in their entire term in Office they built a total of 801 flats.

This GSLP/ Liberal Government, by contrast, has so far - and in a shorter period - already provided 1273 homes at Beach View Terraces, Mons Calpe Mews and Hassan Centenary Terraces Phase1. A further 868 are due for completion at Hassan Centenary Terraces Phase 2, Bob Peliza Mews and Chatham Views.  New projects are also soon to be announced, further demonstrating the record of the GSLP / Liberal Government far outstrips the record of the GSD.

Previous GSLP administrations built 2442 affordable homes that have positively impacted the lives of generations of Gibraltarians at Brympton Estate, Vineyards, Montagu Gardens, Harbour Views, Sir William Jackson Grove and Montagu Crescent.

In their eagerness to slate the Government, the GSD also conveniently forget the original projected completion date for Chatham Views was November 2025 (not 2023 as they erroneously set out in their press release), and completely disregard the harsh reality of the impact that the COVID pandemic had on its construction. The painful truth, which the GSD are well aware of, is that the old Westside School could not be demolished to its original timeframe because its sports hall was demarcated in contingency plans as a morgue. It is either just convenient or a gross failure of memory for the GSD to not factor this into the equation.

In that context and in those circumstances, the fact that construction at Chatham Views has progressed so well that its projected completion date has been pushed back by only 2 months is remarkable and deserving of commendation.

The Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo, said: ‘As they show time and time again, the GSD have nothing constructive to offer; they can’t even construct a persuasive argument, never mind affordable homes for the community! This Government has already built more homes than they ever did, in less time, and is committed to doing so again. The unavoidable fact is that by 2027 the current GSLP/Liberal alliance will have built more than two and half times more affordable homes than the GSD did in16 years. That is a record to be proud of. Additionally, we look forward to announcing additional projects very soon.’