Current state assistance and housing in Malta

Abstract

As in other countries, Malta's housing problems and the various attempts at their solution have, over the years, varied from time to time according to the stage of social and economic development. Successive development plans have made reference to Malta's housing problem and repeatedly come up with proposals for its elimination. In spite of all these efforts, however, the housing problem is still with us today. Malta's housing problem is basically one of housing shortage. In line with economic theory, the short-supply of housing has been accompanied by a rise in the price of housing which has made it very difficult for low income families to acquire decent accommodation by competing under free market conditions. Individually, the Maltese have been able to do very little towards solving the housing problem. Government, on the other hand, has introduced various assistance schemes providing housing accommodation and building sites for those families which could not or would not rent or purchase a home from the private sector.