A social housing estate in Rabat has undergone extensive renovation to fix roofs, freshen up facades and improve common areas 

The project, which also includes the installation of lifts for better accessibility, covered 16 blocks housing 130 families and cost €740,000. 

Rabat mayor Sandro Craus said that the social housing estate had been neglected for 30 years and that the maintenance works were badly needed. 

Social accommodation minister Roderick Galdes said that he no longer wanted social housing to be synonymous with neglect. 

“As the Maltese say, the first thing that strikes is the eye and, therefore, a derelict building not only reflects badly on the families living in it, but also leads to negative effects on people living in the same area,” he said. 

 “Social housing tenants, like any other person in Malta, have every right to live and spend their lives in aesthetically pleasing spaces. This should not be a privilege for the few to enjoy, and no matter what our social and economic background, we deserve a decent life.”
 
The government has pledged to invest €2.6 million in 2020 to maintain and improve existing housing estates, following a €4 million investment last year. Around 500 families living in 46 social housing blocks in Malta and Gozo stand to benefit from renovation works happening this year, the Social Accommodation ministry said in a statement. 

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