Even though the number of vulnerable people is on the increase, the Nationalist government is not lifting a finger to help them, the Labour Party’s spokesperson for social protection, Karl Chircop, and the spokesperson for housing, Stefan Buontempo, said in a joint statement.

The Labour MPs pointed out that a person living off unemployment benefits could not afford to pay at least Lm100 a month in rent for an apartment from the private sector.

As a result, they said, it was not surprising that more and more people were living in places that were not adequate for their needs.

Only the Department of Social Accommodation rents out government housing while the Housing Authority put their housing units up for sale. However, the Department of Social Accommodation only provides 100 units a year when there are over 3,000 applicants.

In 2000, five families lost their property because these were seized and sold by court auction. In 2006, this increased by 10 per cent with 50 families left homeless, mainly because they could not keep up with their bank payments.

The Labour MPs pointed out that while it was positive that there was a subsidy scheme, this was very limited, and the Housing Authority was not addressing the problem of those who cannot rent from the private sector.