GSD accuses Govt of ‘distorted figures’ in housing row, as No.6 rejects ‘impossible’ spin

The GSD has accused the Gibraltar Government of using “distorted figures” in the row over affordable housing, insisting the GSLP/Liberals had failed to address the criticism raised by the Opposition on delayed delivery of projects.

It was the latest salvo in a string of exchanges after the Government said all residential projects in the Westview Park reclamation would be earmarked for affordable housing schemes.

The GSD had questioned the timescales set out by the Government and highlighted delays to existing projects, prompting the No.6 Convent Place to contrast the Government’s housing record with that of the GSD when in office.

No.6 said the GSLP/Liberals had delivered 1,742 homes since 2011, compared to 801 under the GSD between 1996 and 2011.

But GSD Damon Bossino said the figures presented did not provide a proper comparison of low-cost housing provision under the two administrations and failed to address what he described as the central issue of delivery.

In a statement, he said housing remained a pressing social concern and argued that people wanted delivery rather than political exchanges.

Mr Bossino questioned the Government’s stated intention to deliver another 2,300 homes, arguing this would mean constructing more homes in two years than it had delivered over the previous 15 years, on 47,000 square metres of land.

“Without wishing to entertain the Government’s child play of ‘my toy is bigger than yours’, it has to be pointed out that their figures are in fact intentionally massaged to portray a more favourable picture as to their record in office,” he said.

“What the Government statement purposely and with obvious intent fails to mention is the almost 500 rental flats that were in fact delivered at Mid harbours Estate by the GSD.”

“This cynical and convenient omission has been intentionally done in order to distort the real picture.”

The statement also questioned whether Ms Orfila, as the Minister for Housing, would intervene in the debate, with Government statements so far on this issue coming from Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and Gemma Arias Vasquez, the Minister for Health and Business.

‘FAMILY SILVER’

The statement triggered another reply from the Government, which accused the GSD od having depleted Gibraltar’s public rental housing stock while in office.

The Government said the GSD had sold Government rental homes to their occupants, permanently removing those properties from the public housing stock and preventing them from being allocated to people on the housing list in future.

According to the statement, around 1,550 tenants from a stock of 3,832 properties covered by the scheme had expressed an interest in buying their Government home at the time, with potential proceeds estimated at around £64 million.

It said the GSLP/Liberal Government stopped that policy after taking office in 2011 and had since retained Government rental homes in public ownership.

Had the policy continued after 2011, the number of rental homes sold could have run into the thousands, the Government said.

No.6 acknowledged that some sales were completed after the change of administration, but said these arose from commitments entered into by the previous GSD administration which the incoming Government honoured.

It said the Chief Minister had explained in Parliament in November 2023 that no further post-war Government housing stock would be sold once those existing commitments had been completed.

No.6 reiterated earlier data comparing affordable housing delivery under the two parties.

The Government said GSD administrations had completed 801 affordable homes across four terms in office, compared with 1,742 completed by GSLP/Liberal administrations, rising to 2,141 once Bob Peliza Mews is completed.

It added that a further 2,442 affordable homes had been delivered under the GSLP administration led by Sir Joe Bossano, putting the total delivered by GSLP administrations at 4,184.

The Government noted that the Opposition statements about plans for 2,300 additional affordable homes did not state whether the GSD supported the project.

“Mr Azopardi wants to talk about rental housing. Let us talk about it,” Mr Picardo said.

“His party sold Government rental homes and took them out of public stock forever.”

“We stopped that when we were elected in 2011.”

“The GSD built 801 affordable homes in fifteen years and sold the rental stock that the people of Gibraltar owned.”

“We have built 1,742 affordable homes, we have retained every Government rental home in public ownership and we are creating the land for 2,300 more, every square metre of it for affordable housing and not one for the open market.”

“The GSD sold the family silver.”

“We are building the future.”

“Mr Azopardi is trying to spin so much, he is getting himself into an impossible twist.”