Some 50 families, including elderly residents, have been left without a functioning lift since March due to ongoing works in two government apartment blocks.

The groundfloor communal areas of the four-storey blocks in Żejtun have also been turned into a building site, making it difficult for people to access their homes.

There are no front doors on the buildings, allowing rain and vermin to get in, and stone rubble, ladders, pipes and buckets litter the corridors.

Each block houses 25 families.

An 81-year-old cancer patient, who lives on the third floor, says she has been struggling to get out and into her home because of the situation.

“It’s especially difficult when I have to carry my shopping,” she said.

The lifts were removed in March and, according to a spokesperson for the ministry of housing, will be installed “by end of this year”.

The two buildings have been set for an EU-funded facelift, according to a notice on the Binja Minzel and Binja San Martin blocks, with lift shafts to be expanded and new lifts and apertures installed.

False promises were made but everything has stayed the same- Resident

Residents who spoke to Times of Malta in both blocks, which contain 25 apartments each, said three people had already been hurt by tripping over rubble on the ground as they wait for works to be completed.

They said workers have barely been at the site, only resurfacing when Times of Malta asked questions about the progress of the project.

Workers started paving the floor again this week.

In Binja San Martin there were no lights in the communal areas for six weeks, meaning residents had to use flashlights to get to their homes after dark.

Some electrical and plumbing work is also being done, according to the contractor responsible.

“We always maintained the building well, mostly out of our pocket, and had just installed new windows before works began,” a resident said, adding the lift needed maintenance but was functioning.

Lift to be installed after refurbishment

They said they had contacted the housing authority, the social housing minister, and the prime minister to raise their concerns.

“False promises were made but everything has stayed the same,” a resident said.

Speaking specifically about Binja Minzel, a spokesperson from the housing ministry said that €80,000 is being spent on refurbishing the common parts of the building.

The lift, which had passed its serviceable lifespan is set to be installed after the refurbishment has taken place.

The ministry spokesperson also added that “engaged contractors must also ensure that the residents have unhindered access to their residence at all times”.