Right to shelter is subject to speculation nowadays, ADPD says

The right to shelter is a basic human need, yet in Malta’s capitalist society, that right is subject to speculation, the ADPD – The Green Party said on Saturday morning.

In a press conference held outside the Ministry for Social Policy in Valletta, party officials said the absence of rent controls and unregulated property pricing has created a “free for all” market. While it may appear that many are benefitting from rental income, the reality, they said, is far more troubling.

Mario Mallia, Deputy Secretary General of ADPD, pointed to the recent case in Qormi where individuals experiencing homelessness were arrested, arguing that the real failure lies with the state, not the vulnerable.

“The criminal is not the person without a roof over their head, but the state that allows this to happen,” Mallia said. “People are driven to beg by circumstances like mental illness, addiction or extreme poverty. These are signs that, as a society, we are failing.”

Mallia acknowledged the important work carried out by NGOs such as YMCA and soup kitchens but said the government must accept that poverty is a systemic issue. “It is not enough to clear one’s conscience with donations while the situation continues to deteriorate,” he said.

Although begging is illegal in Malta, Mallia said this law should prompt reflection rather than punishment. “If we have people begging, we need to ask why we’ve reached this point. Even with laws regulating the rental market and rent subsidies, the system is clearly not working,” he said.

He argued that development in Malta has become a speculative venture, no longer about ensuring everyone has a home but about generating profit.

ADPD Chairperson Sandra Gauci cited a report by Grant Thornton and real estate agency Dhalia, which shows that property prices in Malta have risen by 125% since 2013. “Wages in Malta remain among the lowest in Europe, yet the cost of living has soared—especially since the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said. “No wonder people are ending up on the streets.”

Gauci also highlighted figures presented by Jake Azzopardi, CEO of the Foundation for Affordable Housing, showing that rents can consume up to 56% of a person’s monthly income in Malta—almost double the internationally accepted benchmark of 30%.

“Not only are we overpaying for rent, but property prices have doubled, and most people can only afford apartments. The terraced house is out of reach for most,” Gauci said. “Schemes for first-time buyers offer little relief and often benefit developers more than families.”

“A home is not a luxury. Speculation in the housing sector is pushing people onto the streets. It is not the homeless who are criminals—it is the state that permits this to happen in 2025. When will Malta realise that treating victims like criminals is not the answer?” she concluded.