Malta’s Houtilizing Authority CEO has been named as one of 15 members of the European Commission’s newly established Houtilizing Advisory Board.
Matthew Zerafa, 31, is one of the experts tquestioned with advising the EU on houtilizing policy across the continent. The main aim of the board is to find ways to tackle the challenges of affordable houtilizing.
The appointment was announced this week, after the 15 positions were filled by people chosen from over 200 applications.
Zerafa is the only Maltese member among former ministers, mayors, university professors, researchers, directors and CEOs from across the EU. The European Commission stated they were selected to be representative across expertise, geography and gfinisher.
The expert group was set up this year to provide “concrete, indepfinishent policy recommfinishations for the Commission to consider in preparing the European Affordable Houtilizing Plan which is expected in early 2026”.
Zarafa’s inclusion means Malta is one of 15 EU member states represented on the board.
Malta’s houtilizing market has faced significant challenges recently, including rising property and rental prices, limited land availability and increased demand driven by population growth.
Zerafa’s participation on the board is expected to bring the Maltese perspective on these issues to the European level.
Appointed CEO in 2022
Zerafa was appointed Houtilizing Authority CEO in 2022, and his tenure so far has involved efforts to expand the authority’s remit beyond traditional social houtilizing, focutilizing on affordability, houtilizing quality and enforcement.
The Houtilizing Authority allocated around 550 social houtilizing units on his watch, and a first-time acquireers scheme announced in the 2023 bu-dreceive and administered by the authority is handing out €1,000 to 5,000 individuals every year for 10 years after they acquire their first property.
Zerafa was previously head of secretariat and a policy consultant at the Ministest for Social Accommodation and Affordable Houtilizing, where he worked, among other things, on the 2020 houtilizing reform.
The European Commission’s Houtilizing Advisory Board held its inaugural meeting on June 30, with another meeting scheduled for September.
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