ADPD-The Green Party welcomes the initiative by the Foundation for Affordable Housing (FAH) for the development of 260 affordable housing units to be sold at below market prices. ADPD-The Green Party’s Chairperson Sandra Gauci said:”This is in our view an innovative first attempt as a result of which housing subsidies do not end up in the pockets of the developer. As a result we are not surprised at MDA’s reaction nor are we surprised that the Nationalist Party came out supporting the pro-speculation position adopted by the MDA. They have either not gone into the details of the initiative or are just trying to ride the MDA’s bandwagon.”
The Greens’ Secretary General Dr Ralph Cassar said that the MDA wants public land for housing to go to the highest bidder instead, and for the government to subsidise the purchase of the units at the exorbitant prices set by developers. “They want more speculation and huge profits at the expense of public coffers. It seems that even the Nationalist Party wants this. Contrary to the MDA and the Nationalist Party we hope that this initiative continues to grow to such an extent that it stabilises the property market and actually discourages speculation. We support the FAH’s trustees, that is the government and the Archdiocese of Malta, on this social enterprise initiative and urge them to stick to their guns.”
“It should by now be obvious to everyone that the usual initiatives such as subsidising first time buyers by successive governments have not worked out as they have only fuelled speculation, with prices shooting up to match government subsidies. The FAH approach makes more sense. That’s why MDA don’t like it, as they want more of the same, that is to say with subsidies ending in their pockets. We also advocate specific legislation for the setting up of housing associations and housing cooperatives which can further reinforce this FAH model. It is also imperative that apart from affordable housing for mid-income earners, the state invests in social housing spread across the country which remains government property. The more initiatives there are to counteract the savage property market the better. Whatever the MDA and their consultants say.”
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Nilqgħu inizjattivi li jimmitigaw l-ispekulazzjoni tal-proprjetà
ADPD-The Green Party jilqa’ l-inizjattiva mill-Fondazzjoni għall-Akkomodazzjoni Affordabbli (FAA) għall-proviżjoni ta’ 260 unit ta’ akkomodazzjoni affordabbli li għandhom jinbiegħu bi prezzijiet aktar baxxi mis-suq. Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party Sandra Gauci qalet: “L-inizjattiva hija fl-opinjoni tagħna l-ewwel tentattiv innovattiv li b’riżultat tiegħu s-sussidji tad-djar ma jispiċċawx fil-bwiet tal-iżviluppatur. Għaldaqstant m’aħniex sorpriżi bir-reazzjoni tal-MDA u lanqas m’aħna sorpriżi li l-Partit Nazzjonalista ħareġ jappoġġja l-pożizzjoni favur l-ispekulazzjoni adottata mill-MDA. Jew ma daħlux fid-dettalji tal-inizjattiva jew sempliċement qed jippruvaw jirkbu l-karru tal-MDA biex mingħalihom jiskurjaw punti politiċi.”
Is-Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD-The Green Party Dr Ralph Cassar qal li l-MDA trid li l-art pubblika għad-djar tmur għand min jitfa’ l-ogħla offerta. Trid li l-gvern jissussidja x-xiri tad-djar bil-prezzijiet eżorbitanti stabbiliti mill-iżviluppaturi. “Iridu aktar spekulazzjoni u profitti kbar għad-detriment tal-fondi pubbliċi. Jidher li anke l-Partit Nazzjonalista jrid dan. Kuntrarjament għall-MDA u l-Partit Nazzjonalista nittamaw li din l-inizjattiva tkompli tikber sal-punt li tgħin tistabbilizza s-suq tal-proprjetà u tiskoraġġixxi l-ispekulazzjoni. Aħna nappoġġjaw lill-fiduċjarji tal-FAA, jiġifieri l-gvern u l-Arċidjoċesi ta’ Malta, fuq din l-inizjattiva ta’ intrapriża soċjali u nħeġġuhom biex iżommu sod quddiem kull pressjoni diretta u indiretta.”
“Għandu jkun ovvju għal kulħadd li l-inizjattivi tas-soltu bħas-sussidjar ta’ dawk li jixtru dar għall-ewwel darba, ‘first time buyers’, minn gvernijiet suċċessivi ma ħadmux għax ħeġġu biss aktar spekulazzjoni, bil-prezzijiet jogħlew biex jassorbu s-sussidji tal-gvern. L-approċċ tal-FĦA jagħmel aktar sens. Huwa għalhekk li lill-MDA ma togħġobhiex l-inizjattiva, għax iridu jżommu l-istatus quo, jiġifieri bis-sussidji jispiċċaw fil-bwiet tagħhom. Aħna nappoġġjaw ukoll leġiżlazzjoni speċifika għat-twaqqif ta’ assoċjazzjonijiet tad-djar u kooperattivi tad-djar li jistgħu jsaħħu aktar dan il-mudell tal-FAA. Huwa wkoll importanti li apparti mid-djar affordabbli għal dawk li għandhom dħul medju, l-istat jinvesti f’housing soċjali mifruxa madwar il-pajjiż li jibqgħu proprjetà tal-gvern. Iktar ma jkun hemm inizjattivi biex jirribattu s-suq selvaġġ tal-proprjetà tant l-aħjar. Jgħidu x’jgħidu l-MDA u l-konsulenti tagħhom.”
