More than 700 people were living in dangerous structures owned by the Housing Authority, Social Solidarity Minister Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca said yesterday.
A number of these cases were reported to the authority way back in 2008, she told a news conference.
To highlight these dangers, Ms Coleiro Preca visited an authority-owned apartment rented out to an 89-year-old woman who complained the place was inadequate.
“I have no sink in the kitchen and the gas pipe is cracked. I have to sweep the yard every day because the wall overlooking the yard is cracked and there’s dust,” Maria Concetta Knight told journalists while pointing at the yard tiles, which were heavily splattered with paint.
She also pointed at a cracked bathroom sink, a missing soap dish in the shower, and an aluminium window that would not close properly.
Accompanied by Albert Camilleri, CEO of the authority, who looked visibly flustered, Ms Coleiro Preca walked through the Floriana apartment as Ms Knight pointed out all the shortcomings of the place, which she was given in September.
When it was pointed out to Ms Coleiro Preca that these were relatively petty issues, the minister argued that these were not petty to someone of Ms Knight’s age.
“It’s not easy for her to bend down and pick up the soap from the shower floor – she has to be careful,” she said.
Ms Coleiro Preca said this was extra stress for the woman who recently underwent a “trauma” when the roof of her last residence collapsed.
The Government was looking at social housing in a holistic manner and was not “a real estate agent”.
“It’s not just a matter of putting a roof over people’s head but making sure they had all the basic needs covered,” she said.
The Housing Authority had to safeguard vulnerable people and these “teething problems” were not acceptable.
More importantly, the Government would ensure that taxpayers’ money, spent on social housing, would not go to waste.
There were many apartments, approved by architects, that were not up to scratch while 3,000 people were on the waiting list for a place, she said.
Inspections would be carried out in all residences to ensure the full value of the investment and contractors who failed to meet the agreed specifications would be held responsible, she added.
When pressed by Ms Coleiro Preca, Mr Camilleri said 15 complaints had been filed about that particular social housing block and that legal action had been initiated against the contractor.
The contractor was given until the end of the month to fix all the shortcomings, he said.