Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1228170
13 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 1 APRIL 2020 OPINION ONE of the topics I cover as an Opposition spokesman, apart from the fight against poverty and solitude, is social housing. This matter is important to the current Prime Minister be- cause he elevated it to a Minis- terial portfolio from that of his predecessor who had assigned the current Minister a parlia- mentary secretary portfolio. Recently I asked the Social Housing Minister parliamenta- ry questions 12557, 13446 and 13512, related to the waiting lists for people awaiting so- cial accommodation from the Housing Authority. It is inter- esting because till 11 March 2020, 2,604 were on the wait- ing list. I asked about the number of single parents on the waiting list, cases of disability, social cases related to domestic vio- lence and old people. The fig- ures are somewhat interesting. 391 are single parents, 361 of whom are women, 253 are dis- abled, 10 are related to domes- tic violence whereas 394 are old people. I felt it important to share this information because the num- bers mean a lot. Of the 2,604 applications, 1,048 are social cases that can be directly im- pacted by poverty because they are vulnerable. That there is over develop- ment is no secret but what is the Government doing to ad- dress the waiting list? Building of units by the Government is being planned but they are long overdue. When the Nationalist Party was in Government, units were built, lest people forget. The longer these applicants stay on the waiting list means that more people are suffering. It is true that the Housing Au- thority has to prioritise and see case by case but for me even one on the waiting list is too many let alone so many. Those seeking alternative accommodation means that currently they are living in dis- comfort. What is being done to at least soothe them? What is being done to address their problems? I am not aware that anything is done except the normal social benefits that they are entitled to. Apart from the figures I men- tioned I asked other questions in relation to the installation of lifts in relation to current units already in place. We must not forget that those who are already living in social ac- commodation are entitled to a decent living and being com- fortable. Lifts make life easier. Further embellishment would make the area nicer. One question was about the installation of lifts in a housing estate in one of the villages in the 11th District, my district. I was promised that 110 lifts are to be installed by the end of the year, co-financed by EU funds. How ironic using EU funds when the party current- ly in Government opposed EU membership! As one can see all three top- ics I cover are linked. Disabled people and old people are the most that suffer from loneli- ness apart from poverty. The Nationalist Party, when in government, will ensure that social accommodation will be addressed and that waiting lists, if any, will be as minimal as possible. It's good to have social ac- commodation at Ministerial level but it will be meaningless if nothing is being done. Ivan Bartolo More to do in social housing Ivan Bartolo is a Member of Parliament for the Nationalist Party The Nationalist Party, when in government, will ensure that social accommodation will be addressed and that waiting lists, if any, will be as minimal as possible