Following last week's episode of Viewpoint, Action for Housing have issued a statement condemning the Chief Minister’s support for the Minister for Housing’s recent decision to allow a private landlord to refurbish Government rental stock.

A statement from Action for Housing follows below:

Following the Chief Minister’s comments on Viewpoint last Thursday, Action for Housing strongly condemns his support for the Minister for Housing’s recent decision to allow a private landlord to refurbish Government rental stock, so that in turn he could rehouse his tenants in them. 

As far as we are aware, the tenants were not at the top of the waiting list and had no exceptional circumstances to take a flat ahead of others who are patiently and desperately waiting in front of them on the waiting list. A lucky couple contained within this specific arrangement applied for housing in January 2011. Action for Housing took on their case in December 2018, at which time they were 35th on the waiting list. They only moved up 16 positions over the past five years and eleven months, standing at 19th on the list in October 2024. Over the last two years they have seen negligible movement, fluctuating between positions 17 and 10, indicating a stagnant process. To suggest, as the Chief Minister has, that this couple was 'months away' from an allocation is blatantly inaccurate and demonstrates a disconnect from the reality faced by those enduring years of waiting in the housing lists. 

By facilitating this arrangement, the Government has allowed a private landlord to significantly increase their profit margins. These properties should have been refurbished by the Government at their expense and allocated by the Administration in accordance with the relevant waiting lists, policies, and procedures. This landlord, who has purportedly made millions from the sale of his property (whole building), was effectively relieved of his legal and financial responsibilities under the Housing Act to rehouse his tenants—a requirement that other private landlords have met at their own sole expense.

This arrangement is not only unfair but also raises serious questions about the integrity of Gibraltar’s housing allocation policies. The Housing department claims to adhere strictly to a chronological waiting list, except in cases of exceptional need. This case, however, did not meet these criteria, yet the landlord’s tenants were prioritised ahead of many families still waiting for homes. Action for Housing feels that this undermines public confidence in a fair and transparent system, and potentially opens the floodgates for other private landlords to try and make similar arrangements with the Government. 

Furthermore, it is deeply concerning that the flats in question were left vacant and dilapidated for long periods of time, and we question why the Government allowed this arrangement to happen rather than refurbishing them or allocating them to eligible tenants through the Government’s rent and repair scheme. This failure to manage and utilise housing resources equitably is unacceptable.

We call on the Government to revoke this new ‘policy’ immediately and refocus its efforts on transparency and fairness for all Gibraltar residents, rather than prioritising certain private interests.