Those selling or buying residential property in San Lawrenz should receive a government subsidy to arrest the continuous drop in the locality’s population, according to the mayor.

“For years, we have been seriously concerned with the decreasing population of our locality, but the local council’s suggestions have fallen on deaf ears,” mayor Noel Formosa said in a letter to Malta’s members of Parliament.

Mr Formosa told the Times of Malta his council had been chasing the two major political parties for years and it was now providing a sustainable solution that would not only benefit San Lawrenz but also other localities experiencing the same ageing population problem.

The council hopes its proposal will help make the best use of vacant houses, particularly those in urban areas. In the letter, he said that given non-scientific observations, it was evident that several young couples had not had the opportunity to purchase property in San Lawrenz.

Council is calling on parliamentarians to heed its preoccupation before it is too late

Among other reasons, this was due to restrictions on the development zone in the locality, which pushed up the price of existing property to one only speculators could afford, Mr Formosa noted.

There is also lack of quality work in Gozo, leading to youths seeking jobs in Malta, while rehabilitation possibilities for old houses were restricted.

The mayor said the council was calling on the parliamentarians to heed its preoccupation before it was too late.

The proposal, he continued, would lead to better use of the several uninhabited residences in San Lawrenz and other Gozitan localities, and ensure that they were not all sold to speculators, who instead of strengthening the community, often created more problems.

The San Lawrenz local council is suggesting that when owners of uninhabited houses decide to sell their property, the buyers are tied with a clause to live in the property for some years. At the same time, the government would provide subsidy schemes to support both the buyers and the sellers.

The council is willing to help with the implementation of the proposal and with other suggestions.

“We believe in urgent action before it is too late. I would like to remind MPs of the beauty of our communities across the Maltese islands, especially those still embracing a particular identity,” reads the letter from Mr Formosa.