President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has announced that the application process for housing in the Malé area will be opened following revisions to the eligibility criteria to reflect public concerns and requests. He made the announcement this evening at the inauguration ceremony of the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) office.
The President said the terms and conditions had been amended to incorporate proposals raised during recent community meetings, ahead of the opening of applications on 15 January for approximately 7,900 flats and 15,000 plots in the Malé City area. He noted that while earlier housing schemes had allocated one-room flats many years ago, families who can no longer reside in such units due to space constraints will now be eligible to apply for three-room flats, provided they vacate their existing units if selected.
He further stated that recipients of two-room apartments under previous social housing schemes who have children of both genders under the age of 18 will also be eligible to apply for the new units and will be required to vacate their current accommodation upon selection. The President added that, in line with public feedback, individuals who have been registered in Malé City for at least one year will now also be eligible to apply for the flats.
President Dr Muizzu also outlined the allocation structure for the 15,000 plots to be issued under the scheme. Of these, 7,000 plots have been designated for native Malé residents, 1,000 for residents registered on Malé Dhaftharu, and 2,000 for those registered at a later stage. A further 500 plots have been reserved for individuals without inherited property, while 3,000 plots have been allocated for residents from other islands who have lived in Malé City for at least 15 years. In addition, 1,500 plots have been earmarked for individuals who wish to relinquish their homes located on narrow streets that pose challenges in obtaining home loans for construction.
He said the Government had not waited until the fourth or fifth year of its tenure to address the land issue, but had prioritised it from the outset, with a sincere commitment to delivering a genuine and lasting solution.