Action for Housing calls for transparency on delayed Bridge House project

Action for Housing has called for greater transparency and urgency over the proposed Bridge House halfway house for homeless men at Johnston’s Passage, six months after a planning application for the project was announced.

In May, the public was informed that a full planning application had been submitted for a 23-unit halfway house intended to provide supported accommodation for homeless men. According to Action for Housing, the announcement generated interest and hope given the growing need for such facilities, but there has since been no substantive update on the project’s progress, funding, timeline or operational structure.

“However, six months on, the community has been left without any substantive update on the project’s progress, funding, timeline, or operational structure. This silence is unacceptable,” said a statement from Action for Housing.

The group wrote to the Minister for Housing, Pat Orfila, on October 22 to seek clarification on a number of points, including how the facility will be funded and managed. Action for Housing said the response received on November 6 did not address the questions raised and simply reiterated that the building had been donated by the Government of Gibraltar to the charitable trust responsible for the project, and that the initiative is described as “community driven”.

“The Government’s response, or lack of it, provides the public with no meaningful information,” said the statement.

The organisation says key issues remain unanswered, including why a halfway house it describes as being of significant social importance is being placed in the hands of a charity rather than being funded and managed directly by the Government of Gibraltar. It has also asked what total amount is required to deliver the project, how much has been raised so far, whether there is a clear fundraising strategy and when Bridge House is realistically expected to open.

Action for Housing said the community and those waiting for stable accommodation “deserve better than prolonged silence” and that it will continue to press for transparency and accountability until more information is provided and the facility becomes operational.