Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1358359
JAMES DEBONO A profiling study of applicants for social housing challenges the public perception that people turn to social housing simply be- cause they are stuck in a practice of dependence or sense of enti- tlement. The study by sociologist Dr Maria Brown and statistician Dr Vincent Marmara, based on a questionnaire to 2,030 appli- cants for social accommodation, shows that despite 29.2% of the applicants work full-time, they were only in receipt of the aver- age monthly amount of €872. An additional 9.9% who were employed part-time with an av- erage monthly income of €438. Pensioners, who amounted to 14% of the sample, relied on an average pension of €579 per month. "This appears to dispel the notion that social housing ap- plicants are necessarily welfare dependents," Leonid McKay, Chief Executive of the Housing Authority, said. Unemployed applicants ac- counted for 39% of the total number of applicants. Most of these cited health problems and had to take care of children or elderly, or even disabled rela- tives as the main reason for their inability to work. According to McKay the prev- alence of 26-45 year-olds in this cohort suggests that such diffi- culties mainly related to finan- cial constraints and caring duties faced particularly by younger households. In fact 62.6% were single parents, while 75% were females. 27% of applicants were separated or divorced. 29.9% of the applicants are from the Southern Harbour dis- trict, which is substantially high- er than the actual percentage distribution of citizens from this particular district (18.9%). 29.6% hail from the Northern Harbour district, 16.1% from the South Eastern district, 13.3% from the Northern district and 8.7% from the Western district. The study also shows that giv- en a viable alternative, most cur- rent applicants would opt out of social housing with 58.4% of applicants claiming they would consider buying their own prop- erty if the government helps them. This report explores the rea- sons why social accommodation applicants resort to the need of applying for social housing in- stead of becoming homeowners. The most common impediment to buying a home is finding the money required for a deposit. In fact 51% of applicants are cur- rently living in rented accom- modation. Two of every three respond- ents said they would consider living in a residential complex or a hostel managed by the Hous- ing Authority if it had its own entrance, the required necessi- ties and affordable rent. Consid- ering the high interest in such initiatives, the report recom- mends that this should be one of the initiatives to be considered by the Housing Authority. Moreover such arrangements may well encourage applicants to seek employment and edu- cational opportunities because it would be easier to organise shared services like child care for individuals within the sam- ple complex. 6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 4 APRIL 2021 NEWS Low income a major impediment for social housing applicants 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Unemployed Full time workers Pensioners House persons Part time workers 39% 29% 14% 12% 10% Employment status of social accommodation applicants 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 Full Timers Pensioners Welfare dependent Part Timers €872 €579 €530 €438 Average income of applicants 50 40 30 20 10 Where applicants are currently living 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Unemployed Full time workers Pensioners House persons Part time workers 39% 29% 14% 12% 10% Employment status of social accommodation applicants 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 Full Timers Pensioners Welfare dependent Part Timers €872 €579 €530 €438 Average income of applicants 50 40 30 20 10 0 Renting Sharing without rent Sharing with rent Residences 51% 26% 11% 11% Where applicants are currently living 28 24 20 16 12 8 4 0 Paying Initial deposit Paying monthly payment Payment of interests Unemploy ment Too old to take a loan Low income 27% 16% 14% 12% 10% 6% What kind of problems are you encountering to take a home bank loan? 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Unemployed Full time workers Pensioners House persons Part time workers 39% 29% 14% 12% 10% Employment status of social accommodation applicants 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 Full Timers Pensioners Welfare dependent Part Timers €872 €579 €530 €438 Average income of applicants 50 40 30 20 10 0 51% 26% 11% 11% Where applicants are currently living 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Unemployed Full time workers Pensioners House persons Part time workers 39% 29% 14% 12% 10% Employment status of social accommodation applicants 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 Full Timers Pensioners Welfare dependent Part Timers €872 €579 €530 €438 Average income of applicants 50 40 30 20 10 0 Renting Sharing without rent Sharing with rent Residences 51% 26% 11% 11% Where applicants are currently living 28 24 20 16 12 8 4 What kind of problems are you encountering to take a home bank loan?