We are putting people at the centre of the national housing system, as our families need adequate housing to live their lives with dignity and satisfaction, the Minister for Social Accommodation Roderick Galdes said.

“People, connectivity, sustainability and digitalisation are the four main pillars which play significance for the housing system,” said Galdes. The Minister was speaking during the launch of the vision of the first National Housing System in Malta.

The National Housing System is a strategy towards sustainable homes and neighbourhoods. The National Housing system is made up of a series of 11 workshops spread over two days, Wednesday and Thursday. The workshops will look at a broad and holistic perspective of housing.

Over 50 stakeholders have come together to design the first local housing system; stakeholders include academics from the Faculty of Architecture and Social Wellbeing within the University of Malta, the Malta Developers Association, YMCA and others.

Galdes said that despite the fact that throughout the past seven years this Government has made important advances in this sector, there is more to be done. “We need to make sure that this housing sector is centred on people from all walks of life and doesn’t only meet the needs of the present generation but is also future-proof.”

He said that the national housing system values connectivity and that people cannot live in isolation. “Our building environment is complex, people are to be connected and not be prisoners in their own homes,” explained Galdes.  He added that sustainability and digitalisation are also essential when discussing the next steps forward to the local housing system. “If this pandemic has taught us anything, we have to think about our building environment and how we must be more respectful towards our planet.

Galdes said that the discussions and consultations will result in a “long-term vision which we are creating together will have real and tangible effects on the quality of life of our communities. That is why I firmly believe that we will look back on these discussions with a sense of pride and positivity.”

Speaking on the topic of homelessness, Galdes said that he is aware that the fight on the topic has not yet been won and that the Ministry will continue to work until the ministry can provide affordable housing for all. “We must also take into consideration that our population and demography has changed drastically as we have grown as a cosmopolitan and international country.”

The consultation for this housing system in Malta has also been extended to foreign professors with extensive experience in shaping housing policy. In fact, the launch was also addressed by the Director of the Centre for Housing Policy at the University of York, Professor Nicholas Pleace. Pleace made a Zoom presentation regarding the challenges around European Housing Policies.