“No abuse will be tolerated,” said Minister for Social and Affordable Housing Roderick Galdes, announcing that during the year 2021 the Housing Authority collected 80 keys from people who were abusing housing. government social security.
Minister Roderick Galdes stressed that, “It is not acceptable to have a person occupying government social housing without having a right. These keys are the result of enforcement and investigations carried out over the past year that have meant providing adequate accommodation for 80 people or families who really need state aid. ” He added that from 2017 to the end of 2021, the Authority collected a total of 392 keys following an investigation into alleged cases of abuse.
This shows that the waiting list is not only reduced by building new apartments, but also by ensuring that those in social housing are there because they really deserve the necessary help.
The Housing Authority encounters various forms of abuse, including the exploitation of vulnerable tenants leaving their homes for long-term medical treatment; rental and use of social housing for tourism and business purposes; the exchange of social housing without the approval of the Authority; as well as cases where persons occupy social housing without recognition.
The Authority also encounters a small but significant number of cases where persons claiming to be representatives, officials or employees of the Authority, abuse the trust of vulnerable persons for gain and fraud purposes. It was explained that Housing Authority staff will never charge applicants in advance but only collect fees related to the administration and processing of applications, which fees are issued according to the terms and conditions of the applicant. schemes and an official receipt of the Authority is always issued. In addition, correspondence between representatives of the Authority and the public is done only through the government’s email system and the Authority’s fixed telephone lines, so everyone should note these details when some people claim that they are acting on behalf of the Housing Authority.
Housing Authority Chief Executive Leonid McKay said the government had invested substantially in recent years to substantially increase the supply of social housing. He said: “This work will be futile if it is not ensured that these residences, and others built in the past, are used for the purpose for which they were built, and it is therefore essential to stop all forms of abuse. in these residences. ”
Minister Roderick Galdes concluded by asking all those who know of any alleged abuse to come forward with all the information to start the necessary investigations, as it is after all the obligation of the State.
