Sometimes providing housing to those in need is useless unless they are also helped out with their social challenges, Housing Authority CEO Leonid McKay said on Monday.

"There are some people for whom a key and a roof is not enough. Those dealing with mental health issues, former prisoners and those who complete a rehabilitation programme among others,  need a support network," he said, adding that NGOs were the best suited for this.

He was speaking at the launch of a second call for specialised housing projects.

The initiative will see the investment of €1 million that will go towards the rehabilitation of four government properties in Valletta, Birkirkara and San Gwann.

These properties will be rehabilitated according to the needs of NGOs who will then provide social services and therapy to social housing clients.

Rachel Scicluna, chair of the Specialised Housing Board explained that interested NGOs, religious organisations and housing cooperatives can, as from today, apply for funds through the housing authority's website. 

If chosen, they will be provided with funds to rehabilitate a, or part of, a property according to their needs. They will then rent out the place from the government.

Two such properties -one in Vittoriosa and one in Cospicua - are already undergoing rehabilitation.

Roderick Galdes meanwhile acknowledged that as a Social Housing Minister he had realised that if the government was going to continue building apartments it was not going to solve the issue of social housing in the long term.

"A politics of one size fits all is not adequate, and that is why we have launched specialised housing. While providing a building can help out, it is only part of the solution."