Dec 01 - Government Plans 1,500 More Flats In New Housing Projects
Two new housing schemes will soon be announced consisting of 1,500 homes in two different parts of Gibraltar. This follows the fact that the Government has now completed the allocation process for the sale of affordable housing in Mons Calpe Mews and Beach View Terraces.
A total of 895 flats have already been allocated in the two housing schemes which are currently under construction. The criteria for this allocation was the housing waiting list. Priority was given to offering these flats for purchase to those people who were on the waiting list on the 9 December 2011, which was the day in which the new Government was elected. The next category of persons to whom flats were offered were those people who joined the waiting list afterwards and so on.
This means that the same flat was offered to persons in a different category of entitlement only after it had been offered to everyone else before them in that entitlement category.
A total of 47 one bedroom flats, 312 two bedroom flats, 477 three bedroom flats and 59 four bedroom flats have now been sold to purchasers in Mons Calpe Mews and Beach View Terraces.
The Government is now planning two further housing projects. The first project for about 500 flats is earmarked for the area of land to the north of Varyl Begg Estate, opposite Watergardens, which is currently occupied by a number of Government entities which will need to be relocated. The second proposed scheme for about 1000 flats will be on the Eastside project site.
Commenting on the matter, the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said:
“The policy decision to proceed with new housing schemes reflects the importance that the Government attaches to providing affordable homes for our people. It was a flagship policy in the manifesto that got us elected and it is a commitment on which the Government has delivered with Mons Calpe Mews, Beach View Terraces and Charles Bruzon House already under construction. We are determined not to repeat the mistakes of the past and this is why we have prioritised the construction of affordable homes. We intend to continue the supply of homes so that everyone eligible who wants one of these flats is able to obtain one.”
These schemes will be presented to the Development and Planning Commission in due course.
