Simon Busuttil unveils ten proposals for the housing sector

● ‘Labour introduced tax on poverty, PN will remove it’

The Labour Party in government has not built a single apartment to help lower-income people, Nationalist Party leader Simon Busuttil said yesterday. Addressing a press conference in Floriana, Dr Busuttil announced ten proposals which present the PN’s vision for the housing sector.

“It is time politics started serving the people, and not the other way round.”

Dr Busuttil said that a PN government will introduce a new project for social housing which would be funded through private-public partnerships.

The PN leader said that he would remove the increase in social housing rent which occurred under the Muscat government, and that he would compensate anyone who had paid the increase over the past four years. “This is taxation on poverty.”

This was met with suspicion from Labour Party media, which claimed that the government had already removed the increase in the last budget and had begun compensating people.

Dr Busuttil agreed with the latter, but maintained this only occurred after pressure from the PN government.

The PN leader had spoken about the issue at the Independence Day meeting. An increase in social housing rent had been included in the last budget, and was removed following Opposition pressure.

Sources told The Malta Independent that up until today, some people were still paying the increased rent. However, the newsroom was also informed that people began receiving cheques in the last two days.

A new PN government will also introduce policy which will see the Housing Authority rent homes from the private sector for social housing purposes, specifically to those on the waiting list for accommodation, and will increase the subsidies for families renting from private owners.

“If a family with three children has a monthly salary of €1,100 and the rent is now €600, how can the family survive with €500 a month?”

Private owners who opt to rent to people on the social housing list will not be taxed on their rental income.

Dr Busuttil also announced that he would conduct studies to combat pensioners who end up without a roof over their heads.

Currently, courts are looking into a contentious legal issue, whereby residents, particularly elderly citizens, are being forced out of their homes, due to landlords increasing their prices, which by law they have a right to do.

The PN will also remove subsidies on the interest loans of houses.

Dr Busuttil also pledged that the PN government will repay all those who are awaiting compensation due to land reclamation.

“We will reserve and ring fence profits from the Lands Authority to fund this.”

The PN said that they would keep the first-time buyers’ scheme, but it will also be extended to those who have recently been divorced or separated.

“These are people who are leaving from a difficult personal situation, they should be provided with the incentive.”

The PN will also help the NGOs who aid the homeless.

Recycled measures, PL claims

The Labour Party, in a press conference addressed by Minister Michael Farrugia and Parliamentary Secretary Deborah Schembri, said that the proposals put forward by Simon Busuttil on social housing were either measures which had already been implemented or are about to be.

Minister Farrugia said that the government had embarked on a €58 million project for social housing. The project will see the construction of 600 apartments spread over 16 different sites in Malta and Gozo. He said the works are ongoing and on 22 May, excavation work on the third site will start. The project is expected to end in three years.

PS Deborah Schembri said that unlike what was claimed by Simon Busuttil, rent already been reduced. “The proposals put forward this morning are either old or copied.”