President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has revealed that the government has completed assessing the social housing application forms for flats in reclaimed suburb Hulhumale', and that the apartments will be handed over to deserving citizens by the end of the year.
Delivering his presidential address at the parliament on Monday, President Solih said a key concern of the people is the inability of families to own homes where they can lead dignified lives. Based on information from forms submitted to Hiya Mashroou, in Male’ alone, there are more than twenty thousand families in need of affordable housing.
While 17,189 forms from the Hiya Masharoou have been screened, with surveys on living conditions of eligible candidates currently undergoing, the work on a total of 5 categories has been completed, said President Solih. The the list of eligible candidates is ready to be announced, and the 7,000 flats of Hiya Mashroou will be given to the deserving people within this year, he said.
The president also announced that the construction work on 4,000 housing units in Hulhumale’, allocated for the residents of Male’, will convene this year. Under the “Veshifahi Program” those residents that have not yet been allocated land in Male’ will be given a land from Hulhumale’ with the process commencing this year, he added.
The president acknowledged that several families of Maavaidhoo, Faridhoo and Kumburudhoo Islands of Haa Dhaalu Atoll, who were relocated to Nolhivaramfaru Island in 2011, are yet to receive permanent housing solutions. Sixty housing units currently being developed for them are expected to be completed this year, and the government hopes to have those families settled into new homes by May of this year, said the president.
