GSD says Govt ‘playing with peoples’ expectations’ on affordable housing 

The GSD has accused the Gibraltar Government of “playing around with peoples’ expectations” over affordable housing, questioning whether plans for 2,300 homes on a new reclamation can be delivered within the timescale announced. 

The Opposition said the Government had repeatedly announced reclamation and affordable housing projects that it believed were unattainable, accusing the GSLP of making commitments for electoral reasons. 

It pointed to the original announcement of the reclamation, when the Government said it would be ready by the early part of 2026 and that the first homes would be delivered by the early part of 2028. 

The GSD said those timelines had already slipped and questioned what confidence prospective homeowners could place in the latest announcement. 

“As the GSD said when this project was first announced in January 2025, the generation of young, aspiring Gibraltarians who wish to purchase their homes, will be forgiven for being highly sceptical when previous developments such as Bob Peliza Mews and Chatham Views have been delayed by a decade in some cases and when, as the GSD warned at the time, it has already failed to deliver on its promises regarding this development,” the Opposition said in a statement. 

“The Government has failed to provide detailed plans and other information for a development of this size, smacking as it does of shallow political posturing designed to garner votes from a large sector of the electorate which is seriously fed up with its repeated slow delivery and broken promises on housing.” 

The GSD said the announcement this week failed to address the planning related concerns raised by the Opposition when the project was first announced 19 months ago on matters such as schooling, traffic and building massification and more recently by those living there.  

It criticised what it said was a lack of detailed plans and information for a development of this scale, including how 2,300 homes would be accommodated on the site. 

GSD MP Damon Bossino said: “This is not surprising from a government which is so seriously delayed in the publication of the new Development Plan; clearly lacks any notion of long-term planning; and thinks it can continue to survive on future untested announcements but fail on delivery.” 

”All of this suggests that this latest statement smacks of misplaced political opportunism, driven by the internal party politics of the party currently in office as they prepare for the transition to new leadership and a general election.” 

“Why, if not for that reason, has the Minister for Business and Health fronted this re-hashed and tired re-announcement along with the Chief Minister and not Ms Orfila as the Minister responsible for Housing who is so obviously being sidelined?” 

The Leader of the Opposition, Keith Azopardi, added: “The Government should stop with this infantile approach to politics and govern for those many hundreds of mainly young people who are being disenfranchised as home-owners.” 

“The marginalisation of this crucial segment of Gibraltar society which represents the future has to be resolved with determination and action.”