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HOUSING: Plight of persons on medical and social lists as Govt concentrates 'largely on gimmicks and propaganda'
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The GSLP/Liberal Opposition says it is seriously concerned at the plight of persons on the medical and social lists who are waiting for housing. "The Government, by concentrating very largely on gimmicks and propaganda, is failing those people whose need of a home is most urgent," they say.
The Opposition adds that it is not good enough for these people to be told that they should wait until more houses for rental come on stream. Given the record of delays that have been experienced by other housing projects, such as those at Waterport Terraces, this will serve as scant consolation to those people who are waiting for a house.
*There are 79 people who are socially categorized ?A? in the list of persons waiting for a flat whose need is most urgent for social reasons. Many of these are homeless persons. In one case, such a person was told that nothing could be done and they had to wait their turn as they made their way through the social category list, even though the person is on the highest ?A? category.
*There are also a further 225 persons whose cases are medically categorized, of whom 61 are categorized urgent ?A?. However, our concern is that in practice this label means nothing, since one of these cases has been medically catorgised ?A? since 1997, another since 1999, and six more since 2001.
In 2005, the Government sifted through all the ?A? category medical cases, and came up with a new, even more urgent category which they termed A+. They said at the time that these A+ cases would require immediate action. When Shadow Housing Minister Charles Bruzon asked in Parliament whether immediate action meant one day, a few days, or a week, he was told that it meant that these urgent cases could have a house whenever one became available.
In other words, says an Opposition Press release, this explanation was nothing new. It applies to everyone on the medical list, or indeed on any list, who is waiting for a house when one becomes available as well.
There are now 22 cases which are termed A+. The reality is that, despite the label, these people too are having a hard time and a long wait because the Government has neglected the housing needs of our people for over a decade and they simply have no houses to give. In many instances affected persons complain to the Opposition and point out that there are empty flats in different parts of Gibraltar which could be allocated to them.
The creation of the A+ category in 2005 proved to be nothing more than another gimmick which has failed to provide a flat in a short time to those people who need it most.
SICK AND TIRED
Shadow Minister for Housing Charles Bruzon said:
?People are sick and tired of propaganda. It is clear to the Opposition that there have been many promises and many reforms trumpted over the years but that the reality is that Gibraltar is still suffering from the failure of the GSD to build low-cost and rental housing to meet the demand that has existed over the years. Indeed, if the GSD had been more active on this front in past years in office, there would probably be no housing waiting list now.
?The people I see in my office every day are very deserving humanitarian cases who endure considerable suffering and distress. They are fed up of promises, of schemes, of announcements and of propaganda. They are persons whose position has been categorized as urgent, as ?A?, by the Government itself. However, this category is meaningless unless there is prompt action to go with it. People want houses not excuses,? said Mr Bruzon.
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