Why do permits for new buildings continue to be approved when the number of empty or underutilised houses is equivalent to 6 times the size of Tas-Sliema? What kind of planning is this, asked  ADPD-The Green Party spokespersons this morning when addressing a press conference on the results of the Census on the characteristics of residential property that has just been published.

ADPD - The Green Party chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that the 2021 census report published earlier this week once again shows that the property that is being left empty along with underutilised property (secondary residences and vacation rentals) continues to increase. From 297,304 residences recorded in the Census, 81,613 of them were classified together as a property that is not used, or that is being used little. This means that 27.5 percent of the residential property on a national level is either empty or barely used. This is of concern.

In fact, the total number of empty or barely used houses is equivalent in number to 6 times the number of residential houses in Tas-Sliema. Due to the small size of the country this is a huge problem and results in an extra burden on public spending. All these residences are served by roads, electricity, sewage and water services at a substantial cost that could have been used more beneficially in other areas where there are residences that are used continuously.

While these 81,613 residential properties are empty or underutilized, the building industry continues to build more, and the problem continues to grow. They call this progress, but it is in fact environmental destruction of the little land we have to build property that is then left empty or underutilised.

This is not something that started today. Neither the Labour Party nor the Nationalist Party have ever paid attention to the consequences of environmental destruction, despite the many crocodile tears they sometimes shed, to give the impression that they care.

Instead of addressing the issue, the PN government increased the size of the development area through the addition of land through the so-called "rationalization" exercise. On the other hand, the Labour Party in government, continues to encourage more development and refuses to reverse or cancel the decision by which the one million square metres were given over for development. The 2006 expansion of the developable land needs to be reversed immediately.

With more than 80,000 empty or barely utilised properties, what sense does it make to continue issuing permits for large-scale development that continue to add to the accumulated amount of vacant properties? Cacopardo concluded.

ADPD - The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci said that ADPD has been insisting that there should be as many incentives as possible to entice property to be utilised. In the case of a property that, despite the incentives, is left empty for a long time, there should be fiscal disincentives to discourage this behaviour. This will contribute to reducing the price of rents and also more reasonable property prices.

It makes no environmental sense to use land (including agricultural land) for development and subsequently keeping the so-developed property vacant. Nor does it make economic sense to invest so many resources without seeking to reap economic benefits. Those who persist in keeping their properties unused for a long time must pay tax on the unused property. This tax partially compensates for the expenditure incurred by the country in the creation of ghost towns made up of vacant property. Spending on infrastructure is incurred, regardless of whether the property is left empty or not.

A tax on empty property helps to start controlling and calming the property market because it contributes to more properties entering the market: for rent or for sale. An empty property tax is an incentive for the property to be put on the market, rather than keeping it empty and paying for it.

The Government recently changed its position on taxes and introduced a deposit on plastic bottles and other containers, which increases with increased consumption and is forfeited if the containers are not returned properly. We applauded this because this environmental tax is contributing to reducing waste. The same happens with a tax on empty property: it starts to gradually reduce the number of empty properties and leads gradually to more reasonable prices. This is a necessary social measure to tame the property market.

In spite of more than 80,000 empty or underutilised properties we still have a waiting list at the Housing Authority for those looking for alternative accommodation. The Housing Authority should make use of the empty property that already exists and not continue to build more and more housing.

The primary conclusion from this Census is a clear message to the Planning Authority to stop dishing out permits which have led to more than a quarter of the properties in our country being left vacant. With a stretch of land six times the size of Sliema full of residences that are empty or hardly used things could not be clearer, concluded Gauci.