Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1325383
13 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 6 JANUARY 2021 OPINION Ivan Bartolo Ivan Bartolo is a Member of Parliament for the Nationalist Party IF I were not familiar with the situation that people find themselves and the chal- lenges in their lives, I would be more com- fortable with what we hear from govern- ment officials. Because while I recognize the massive importance of this sector, I do not see the positive change that they some people in government are talking about. And I do not say this because currently I hail from the opposition party. The feedback I get from people involved in the social hous- ing apparatus clearly shows the sector is in dire trouble. It has been left in disarray for the past few years, and there are no other words to describe it. Despite the positive spin of- ten bandied about, when one experiences the situation and meets people first hand, there one finds a different situation. Individuals and families in need of help and a voice have been left without a de- cent place to live in. The authorities are falling behind, and keep falling back. Why do I mention a "decent place"? A decent place should be a right for every person and should not entail numerous visits to the minister or the Housing Au- thority. We must link this right to the duty that each and every one of us has. We must give to the country, by caring for the rest of the population and helping each oth- er. This is the biggest contribution to our country. The State should provide housing for those people who have done everything possible on their part to have their own place but have not managed for some rea- son or another. In this field, no matter how many initia- tives are engaged, the continuous changes in our society create new social challenges from time to time. But society has an obli- gation to look after the deprived. The Authority The duty of the Housing Authority is not only to have housing stock to address social problems and ensure that it has af- fordable housing but also to ensure that these people live in a healthy and quality environment. The large number of people visiting the offices of the Housing Author- ity clearly illustrates the much-needed call of a segment of the population in need. The idea of social housing originated in Finland where in 1909 there was an effort for people working in Helsinki to have houses to live in. In fact, the first houses built were houses for working class fami- lies with many children. At that time, the culture was that every family should have a sanitation system. Then in 1918, the Finns even introduced the lighting system, and from there the first government-conceived housing idea was launched. In our country, although we did not have an Authority in the early 1900s, it is worth remembering the workers' build- ings, aimed at helping those most in need. Several countries adopted the idea. For example, between 1965 and 1974, Swe- den implemented the Millennium Project, through which they introduced a million new social posts. This project was directly inspired by what had been done in Eng- land during the war. PN and Labour history I appreciate hearing exponents of the Labour government say that housing is at the heart of the Labour Party. And its agreeable hearing them talking about the country's history. However, I prefer not to have persons living in cars, or moving from one tem- porary shelter. I would rather not see a mother with children sleeping in a shelter home, or a father sleeping in a public gar- den. The authorities try to give you the im- pression that this sorry state of affairs came into play under the Natinalist ad- ministrations and that Nationalist govern- ments did nothing. And yet there has never been such a mess in this area as today. I realise that this issue might not inter- est many people but I firmly believe no one wants to see anyone go through such hardship, which I personally see and touch nearly every day. Hearing them talk... The State should provide housing for those people who have done everything possible on their part to have their own place but have not managed for some reason or another