Editorial: The houses Galdes did not build

The latest Housing Authority annual report vindicates the prime minister’s decision to accept Roderick Galdes’s resignation as affordable housing minister. It also shows that Labour was right to reject his candidature for the 2026 general election. But that is not and should not be the end of it if social housing is to be a key public policy.

The report reveals that the number of applicants on the social housing waiting list rose from 1,294 in 2021 to 1,905 last year, a staggering 47.2 per cent increase in just five years.

The Housing Authority’s mission is to “provide and sustain decent social and affordable housing opportunities, promoting stability and supporting social mobility”. Still, in the annual report, the CEO, Matthew Zerafa, defines 2025 as “a year where direction met delivery, where strategy translated into measurable outcomes, and where our commitment to people was reinforced through decisive and structured action”.

Those already waiting for a home, and those who may soon find themselves joining the queue, would be entitled to ask how those “measurable outcomes” square with a waiting list that continues to grow.

There was more bad news. When Malita Investments, in which the government has a major stake, faced financial issues last year, many social housing projects were delayed.

As the social housing project experienced setbacks, the man politically responsible to ensure it runs smoothly was too busy and focused investing in his own personal future rather than that of the people, as he was in duty bound to do.

When his private property purchases and connections with contractors came under public scrutiny, he had very little choice but to resign as a minister.

Unashamedly, he still harboured electoral ambitions and campaigned for the May 30 general election, until Labour rejected his candidature. That decision was probably also motivated by the 2024 identity card address switching scandal, which had cost the party dear politically. For the record, 99 applicants had changed their registered address to an uncompleted social housing block in Siġġiewi, part of Galdes’s constituency.

Labour’s action vis-à-vis Galdes deserves to be commended if meant as a message that politics is not a personal business but a commitment to serve. But, of course, we will not be surprised if he re-invents himself and somehow makes a comeback.

The government and the new minister now face a daunting task, to make up for lost time. It may be a huge challenge but not a mission impossible.

They must deliver for the benefit of those members of society who rely on the state to provide them with decent housing. To its credit, the Labour government has unveiled various initiatives to help first-time buyers. But, as the population grows and property prices continue to rise, a lot of more hard work needs to be done.

The first and most obvious is, of course, to increase the stock of available social housing. Suggestions and recommendations have been made along the years, some of which – but not that many – being adopted and implemented.

Still, innovative and creative plans, whether in making use of existing structures and new financing options, need to be devised.

The input of the private sector could prove beneficial. Just beware of greedy speculators.

Administrative procedures deemed to be too bureaucratic and complex should be simplified, an effort that must involve banks, financial advisers, lawyers and notaries, among others.

Social housing is far more than a welfare policy. It is a measure of a society’s values and of a government’s willingness to protect the most vulnerable. When it falls short, the consequences extend well beyond those on the waiting list.