Il-prezz dejjem jogħla tal-kirjiet qiegħed ikun ta’ piż qawwi għal ħafna. Dan jikkonfermah studju ippubblikat din il-ġimgħa minn Solidarjetà, l-għaqda tal-kerrejja. Bosta nies m’għandhomx għażla ħlief li jikru; hemm min ma jikkwalifikax għal self mill-bank sabiex ikun jista’ jixtri post; oħrajn isibu ruħhom f’diffikultajiet finanzjarji wara li jkunu għaddew minn separazzjoni jew divorzju, filwaqt li d-dħul baxx ta’ ħaddiema barranin spiss ma jippermettilhomx li jixtru. Dan hu l-impatt negattiv tal-iżvilupp ekonomiku tal-pajjiż. Dan qaluh il-kelliema ta’ ADPD-The Green Party waqt konferenza stampa quddiem l-Awtorità tad-Djar fil-Floriana illum.

Iċ-Chairperson Sandra Gauci u l-uffiċċjal tal-partit Mina Jack Tolu qalu li l-iżvilupp ekonomiku qed iħalli impatt soċjali qawwi, impatt kiefer, u dan ma nistgħux inkomplu ninjorawh. Bosta postijiet residenzjali illum, aktar minn qatt qabel, qegħdin jintużaw għall-akkommodazzjoni tat-turisti. Dan kollu qed iħalli konsegwenzi fuq il-kommunitajiet residenzjali u qiegħed itellef il-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħhom. Fl-istess ħin, in-nuqqas ta’ postijet għall-kiri bi skop residenzjali qed jimbotta l-prezz tal-kirjiet ‘il fuq. Ma ninsewx li ħafna mit-tkabbir ekonomiku hu bbażat fuq żieda qawwija fil-popolazzjoni. Din kompliet iżid id-domanda għall-kiri, filwaqt li l-pressjoni fuq is-sistema tad-drenaġġ u infrastruttura oħra żdiedet b’mod eċċessiv, bħalma żdied it-traffiku fit-toroq tagħna. Din hi sitwazzjoni li l-Gvern ġab b’idejh u issa jinsab fi stat ta’ paniku sabiex isib tarfha.

Bħalma diġà semmejna, ix-short lets, jew kif spiss insejħulhom, AirBnb qegħdin joħolqu nuqqas ta’ postijiet għall-kiri residenzjali u dan qed iwassal għal żieda fil-prezz tal-kirjiet. L-Awtorità tad-Djar tgħid li l-ispiża fuq l-akkommodazzjoni m’għandhiex taqbeż il-25% tad-dħul. Minkejja dan, huwa ċar li l-piz finanzjarju ta’ kirjiet affordabbli jammontaw għal anqas minn 25% tad-dhul, filwaqt 40% tal-kirjiet iġorru stress ta’ bejn il-25% u t-30% tad-dhul. 40% tal-kirjiet huma ta’ piż qawwi. Huwa ta’ inkwiet u tħassib kif l-ispekulazzjoni qawwija fil-qasam tal-akkommodazzjoni residenzjali qiegħda twassal għal dawn il-kirjiet esaġerati bil-konsegwenza li hawn min qed jispiċċa bla saqaf fuq rasu. Dawn l-isfidi speċjalment jinħassu jekk ma tikkwalifikax bi żbrixx għall-Housing Benefit Scheme u b’hekk ma tkunx intitolat għall-għajnuna, jew jekk il-kera tiżdied jew is-sid ikun irid il-post lura. 

L-influss qawwi f’qasir żmien ta’ ħaddiema barranin ħoloq domanda kbira għall-postijiet għall-kiri. Kien hemm min ċeda l-villeġġatura tiegħu biex jikriha u rajna wkoll abbużi sfaċċati fejn numri kbar ta’ nies spiċċaw jgħixu qishom sardin, marsusin fl-istess appartement. Tassew il-Gvern ħareġ linji gwida biex irażżan l-abbuż. Imma kemm nisimgħu dwar l-infurzar? L-abbuż bla xkiel qed iwassal għal aktar prezzijiet projbittivi.

Ma jeżisti ebda tip ta’ kontroll dwar kif jiġi stabbilit il-prezz ta’ kirja. Il-prezzijiet ifajruhom kif ġie ġie u din hi problema ewlenija. Għalkemm il-Gvern ħa inizzjattivi li tejbu s-sitwazzjoni xi ftit jew wisq, l-abbuż ma nqatax. Il-liġi tal-ġungla baqgħet tiddomina, għaliex ma teżisti ebda regola sabiex il-prezz jitfassal fuq kriterji specifiċi, bħall-kobor tal-post, l-effiċjenza enerġetika tiegħu u l-aċċessibilità għal servizzi bħal ma huma ħwienet tal-merċa, għassa tal-Pulizija, u banek. Il-Gvern donnu mhux lest li jieħu passi serji biex irażżan dan l-abbuż. Is-sidien tal-postijiet tista’ tgħid li huma kollha Maltin li stagħnew mhux ftit mill-kiri. L-istatus quo donnu ma jistax jintmiss għax dan jista’ jissarraf f’telf ta’ voti. 

Is-suq tal-kiri sploda u l-kilba għall-flus hija kbira, imma d-dritt għal akkommodazzjoni xierqa bi prezz ġust u raġonevoli huwa sagrosant. Hemm bżonn regolamenti sabiex b’mod urġenti, id-drittijiet ta’ min jikri jkunu mħarsa. Dan hu t-twemmin ta’ ADPD-The Green Party, u dan se nibqgħu insostnu.

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The rental market is cruel: the negative impact of economic development

Rental rates are continuously on the rise, and this is a heavy burden on many.  This is confirmed by a study published this week by Solidarjetà, the renters’ association.  Many people have no other alternative but to rent – there are those who do not qualify for a bank loan to purchase their own home, whilst others find themselves in financial difficulties after a separation or divorce.  Workers on a low income are also excluded from the property market. This is the negative impact of the country’s economic development, ADPD-The Green Party spokespersons insisted today at a press conference held outside the Housing Authorities’ offices in Floriana.

ADPD-The Green Party’s Chairperson Sandra Gauci, and party official and spokesperson Mina Jack Tolu said that the current economic development is having a strong social cruel impact, and this cannot be ignored anymore.  Many residential homes, now more than ever, are being used as tourist accommodation.  This is having consequences on residential communities, with the result that their quality of life is deteriorating.  At the same time, the lack of rentals for residential purposes is driving the rental rates up.  We must keep in mind that much of the current economic growth is dependent on a substantial population increase.  This has increased the demand for rentals, whilst the pressure on the sewage system and other infrastructure has increased excessively, such as traffic on our roads.  This situation has been brought about by the government, which is now in a state of panic to find solutions.

As we mentioned before, short-lets, or what is frequently called Airbnb’s, have led to a lack of residential housing and this is the driving force behind the substantial increases in rental rates.  The Housing Authority reports that the costs for accommodation should not be more than 25% of one’s income.  In spite of this, it is clear that less than 25% of rentals are affordable, whilst around 40% of rentals cost around 25%-30% of monthly income.  Forty per cent of rentals are a heavy financial burden.  It is worrying to see that such speculation in the residential accommodation sector is leading to exorbitant rental rates with the consequence that people are ending up homeless.  These challenges are especially serious if one narrowly fails to qualify for the Housing Benefit Scheme, rental rates increase or if the landlord wants to terminate the rental. 

The heavy influx of foreign workers in such a short span of time has created a high demand for rental accommodation.  There are those who gave up their summer home to rent it out and we have also seen abusive practices where we see people squeezed into a small apartment, packed like a tin of sardines.  It is true that the government has issued guidelines to curb abuse.  But do we hear about enforcement?  Rampant, unchecked abusive practices are leading to more prohibitive rental rates.

There is absolutely no much control over rental rates or how they should be established.  Prices are randomly set and this is one major problem.  Although the government has taken the initiative to control this problem, the abuse has not stopped.  The law of the jungle dominates, and there is no law which outlines the criteria for setting rent, such as property size, energy efficiency and access to amenities.  The government appears reluctant to take serious steps to address the situation.  Landlords, who are primarily Maltese, have benefitted immensely from the situation. It seems that the status quo will not be touched as this will translate into a loss of votes. 

The rental market has exploded and the greed for money is great, but the right to adequate accommodation at reasonable rates is sacrosanct.  There is the urgent need for regulation that protects the rights of the renter.  This is what ADPD-The Green Party believes, and this is something that we shall keep on insisting on.