Housing minister’s constituents top list for social housing units

An analysis of new information presented in parliament following questions by PN MP Graziella Attard Previ reveals that during the last general elections year (2022), the Housing Authority assigned more than 30% of the 557 flats available for distribution to constituents in the electoral districts of Roderick Galdes.

Galdes claims that he does not interfere in the Authority’s allocation of units, as it is carried out by a special committee he appointed.

However, it is worth noting that most of the units were allocated to individuals whose ID cards were registered in the districts of Qormi, Zebbug, Siggiewi, or Birkirkara, all part of the minister’s electoral districts.

Following several years in which the Housing Authority did not allocate a single accommodation, statistics show that during the last election year, it allocated 557 apartments.

Most of the allocations were to citizens from Birkirkara (62), Qormi (50), Siggiewi (18), and Zebbug (18).

Last year, The Shift reported that, just before the 2022 general elections, Galdes personally informed many of his constituents that they had been selected to receive a government apartment.

Although it is unclear how the minister obtained the personal information of the individuals selected by the Housing Authority, including their mobile numbers, he confirmed that he had personally called the individuals to inform them that they had been selected.

When asked to explain his actions, Galdes had said, “This was a way of maintaining a close relationship with my constituents.”

“I think I have every right to do this as an MP and a minister, especially among my constituents,” he said.

He refused to explain how he obtained the individuals’ personal information while insisting that all allocation decisions were made by the Housing Authority’s allocations board, which he underlined was “autonomous”.

The Housing Authority allocated considerably fewer housing units a year later.

According to the latest figures Galdes tabled in parliament, while the Housing Authority allocated 557 units in 2022, this decreased to just 167 in 2023.

Despite the lower allocation numbers, the board once again assigned most units to those from the Minister’s constituency.

In 2023, Qormi again topped the list, with 14 units, while Birkirkara came second with 10 allocations.