Last week, the Housing Authority announced plans to allocate Lm3 million to purchase old, abandoned houses in urban areas for redevelopment and passing on to clients under shared ownership, sheltered housing and social housing for rent.

Over the years we have heard on a regular basis that there are too many houses that lie in a dilapidated state and are not lived in. Most of these are in the centre of towns and villages and it is a really sad sight to see crumbling walls in streets that form part of otherwise residential areas.

There are many reasons why property owners leave their property in such a state. The main one seems to be that they prefer to leave these dwellings unoccupied rather than have them

renovated and rented out. Some have allowed their property to literally fall apart, although changes to the rent laws have given them more favourable terms.

It is probably too expensive to carry out a major overhaul and these property owners simply bide their time and wait for the right offer. On many occasions, this never comes.

The Housing Authority has taken up this issue and is now allocating Lm3 million to an exercise that is to see the purchase of such property. It is asking property owners to submit sale applications that will be analysed before a final decision is taken.

The Lm3 million is earmarked specifically for the purchase of such property. Funding for their redevelopment will be sought from the European Union as part of the 2007-2013 budget.

At the last count, nearly a quarter of property all over Malta – 35,723 dwellings – is unoccupied, although it must be said that one third of these are summer residences and, as such, are used for a few months by their owners.

But there are many other houses that are not lived in at all during the year, and that have been without occupants for many years. It is these buildings that the authority has in mind. Most of them are found in the central parts of towns and villages, as residents move out in search of new property where there is less traffic and noise.

This has led to more land being eaten up by property development, which has had the effect of further reducing open spaces. It has also meant that buildings are growing higher and higher and it must be said that not all high-rise buildings fit in with their surroundings.

Being a small country, Malta cannot afford to waste such spaces. To have so many empty

houses occupying so much land, when land in Malta is so limited, is something that should be tackled, and the Housing Authority is to be commended for taking such an initiative. It is leading by example.

The programme announced last week is focusing mainly on the areas of Valletta, Cottonera, Hamrun, Qormi and Birkirkara – because that is where there seems to be a concentration of empty dwellings and also because most of the authority’s clients seem to be looking for accommodation in these areas.

It will take some time before the applications are analysed, decisions taken, purchases made and repairs carried out. But what is important is that the project has been set in motion. We are in no doubt that if the scheme proves successful, the authority will come up with other projects along the same lines.

The initiative will kill two birds with one stone. On the one hand, it will reduce the number of empty houses and, through their redevelopment, make them blend in with the areas in question. On the other hand, it will increase the supply of affordable social housing, and therefore improve the lifestyle of so many people.