The Minister for Social Housing Roderick Galdes and the Minister for Inclusion and Quality of Life Julia Farrugia Portelli addressed a news conference on the New Hope Guarantee scheme, in the Aula Magna of the University of Malta in -Belt Valletta.
Through the New Hope Guarantee scheme, the government will be a guarantor to enable individuals with medical issues or disabilities to become homeowners. The government, through the Housing Authority, will be offering a guarantee that will cover a maximum loan of € 250,000 on property that will be used as a primary residence.
An applicant who fails to obtain an insurance policy should apply for this scheme. The latter will be required to submit documentation from a doctor or specialist on his condition. The Housing Authority and the Commission on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will verify the documents submitted to ensure that there is no abuse.
Minister Roderick Galdes explained how the New Hope guarantee has brought new optimism among young people who to date have not been able to become homeowners due to disability or medical reasons; “I met a lot of people who explained to me that, due to their disability, when they came to buy a place they found a blockage as they were not given a life policy. We have not only looked at the needs of the majority, but we have also seen how the minority is given aid and this minority today has new hope. “
This scheme is a testament to how social the government is, as everyone should have the opportunity to achieve their aspirations. “This scheme is the epi-center of our values. With state aid and the New Hope Guarantee we are being inclusive and offering hope to individuals suffering from any kind of disability because they too have the right to fulfill their dream of becoming homeowners. , ”concluded Minister Galdes.
Minister for Inclusion and Quality of Life Julia Farrugia Portelli stated that the fact that it was almost completely impossible for a disabled person to be issued with a life insurance policy to be able to turn to a bank commercial for a loan to purchase a residence was rendering a situation that excludes the disabled person from this facility.
“The word exclusion has no place in government vocabulary, quite the opposite. We strive for complete inclusion. The Commission on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) has been working to remove this anomaly. She worked hard to draw up a plan, even after consulting with foreign entities, which was presented to the government and which eventually led to the creation of an inter-ministerial group and was part of the team that drafted the New Hope Guarantee scheme. The CRPD will remain involved in the implementation of the process by certifying the applicant’s eligibility under the stipulated medical conditions and will be part of the advisory board which will continue to work to strengthen the scheme in terms of eligibility. “
Minister Farrugia Portelli concluded by saying that, “It is very gratifying that now, in accordance with the principle of inclusion, we as a government are delivering this facility to those who until recently were feeling excluded from that. which would have benefited others. This is another measure that confirms the government’s determination not to let anyone fall behind or to feel inferior to others. “
The Commission on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will have between two and three such cases a year. Commissioner for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Samantha Pace Gasan recalled that the CRPD has been conducting research to address this anomaly, so that people with disabilities and others can be recognized as consumers and have full access to the real estate market and become homeowners.
Present for the news conference was also the Chief Executive of the Housing Authority Leonid McKay, where he said that as in other schemes we are committing to offer a expedited process in the New Hope scheme as well. He explained that immediately after the necessary documents were provided, the Commission for Persons with Disabilities would be contacted to carry out the necessary research.
If the applicant fulfills the conditions of the scheme, a letter of recommendation is issued to the bank to issue the guarantee on the value of € 250,000 instead of the insurance policy requested by the commercial banks. Mr McKay reiterated that social policy is not based on the brightest but on the vulnerability of the person. He concluded that instead of going the easy way and offering handouts, we found a different way to promote mobility rather than social dependence.
Photos: DOI, MSA, MISW
