Franciscan villa to offer accommodation to Gozitan students and patients’ families

A Neoclassical villa belonging to the Franciscan friars will be offering accommodation space to Gozitan students and the families of patients undergoing treatment in Malta.

Villa Lauri, in Birkirkara, will offer living space for 33 people, after an arrangement was made between the government and the Franciscan religious community.

Gozo Minister Justyne Caruana said that the arrangement comes after months of work by her ministry to find a short and long-term solution to Gozitan students’ need of affordable accommodation in Malta.

“This is one of the budgetary measures which we will be putting into effect, and it marks the start of other initiatives in this sector which are still to come,” she said.

She said that other accommodation-related projects were being planned, and that a “holistic and tangible plan” to assist students and their families in dealing with rent problems was being drawn up.