Housing Policy Working Group and Housing Policy in Malta

In July 2003, the Department of Public Policy launched the Housing Policy Working Group (HPWG).  The group membership include academicians, professionals in housing related occupations as well as practitioners and those working in the field of housing and urban planning.  The Working Groups is headed by Dr Cyrus Vakili-Zad who is currently in Malta and collaborating with the Department of Public Policy in its teaching programmes.

Dr. Vakili-Zad has worked in the field of housing in a number of countries, including Iran, the U.S.A. and most recently in Canada and has published extensively on the subject. Dr. Vakili-Zad has served as policy advisor  to  the Ontario Ministry of Housing and as project manager for  Toronto  Community  Housing  Corporation  (TCHC),  the  largest social housing  provider  in  Canada.  In addition to posts he has held at Harvard University, University of Hartford,  and  elsewhere, Dr Vakili-Zad until recently was visiting lecturer at the University of Toronto.

The major objective of the Working Groups is to identify from an academic perspective issues related to housing policy which needs research and in-depth study.

One of the first tasks of the group will be to map the evolution  of  housing  policy  in Malta and to explore how that policy has impacted  on both the private and the social housing sector.

Further information regarding the Working Group meetings and activities can be obtained by contacting Dr Vakili-Zad by e-mail, at: cyrus@onvol.net.