[WATCH] Government planning for the future in the housing sector, Roderick Galdes insists

Housing Parliamentary Secretary Roderick Galdes and Opposition spokesperson Ivan Bartolo discuss the housing sector on Xtra Sajf

Roderick Galdes says various measures have been taken, including the upgrading of existing housing estates
Roderick Galdes says various measures have been taken, including the upgrading of existing housing estates

Roderick Galdes has fended off criticism that the government has not put one social housing unit on the market since 2013, insisting the situation was a result of a past policy by Nationalist administration to stop building social housing units.

The parliamentary secretary said the government had found a precarious situation when it came to power in 2013 and had to get the house in order.

"There are now 1,700 units being built in what is one of the largest social housing projects in decades," Galdes said, adding there were other schemes targeting particular cohorts with specific problems.

He was debating the subject on TVM's Xtra Sajf with Opposition spokesperson Ivan Bartolo.

Galdes said government's policy was planning for the future by also ensuring new ways into how social housing will be allocated.

"We intend introducing a rigoruous means test that will apply for people awarded social housing to determine whether they still need it after a number of years," Galdes said.