An evaluation of housing patterns and policies in Malta

Abstract

The thesis shows that the housing sector in Malta is suffering from traits of excess; it was found to be over- and under- priced; over and under-populated; over-productive and, at times, wrongly located and badly distributed. The rental stock is old and substandard while owner-occupation has grown rapidly and has become very expensive. The sector has no housing associations and no non-government organisations and there is little consideration given to the special housing needs by particular users. The State is the sole provider of affordable housing while the private sector considers housing to be one of the most profitable and safest forms of investment. This thesis provides an introduction to the scope of housing, purpose and objective of policy and the motivation of householders. It expounds the European scenario within which it is written, analysis the sources of information that have been tapped during its compilation and introduces a zonation of the country. The thesis argues that housing in Malta is an endemic problem. Having put Malta's housing patterns and policies within their geographical perspective, it proposes a model for housing policies, introduces the stake holders in the housing sector and traces the pattern of development of housing policies since the early 16th century. Mainly, it focuses upon the evolution of housing policies since the late 1940s and examines the major issues that have emanated from them. A housing quality survey is An evaluation of housing patterns and policies in Malta Abstract analysed, and factors that influence the price of housing in Malta are identified and evaluated. Finally, the thesis expresses concern with housing rent policies in Malta and, in justification, includes references to rent policies in Western Europe. The thesis ends with a summary of the key findings; a comparison of the housing patterns and policies in Malta with those of other European countries; and a discussion of proposals to improve housing policies in Malta.