Yameen criticises unequal treatment in social housing rent collection
He claimed that political motivations have played a role in how housing has been distributed over the years.
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Former President Abdulla Yameen has stated that the failure of tenants to pay rent for government-allocated social housing flats is partly due to the government having allocated land free of charge to selected individuals.
Yameen said many tenants of state housing schemes are not paying the required monthly rent. While the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has the legal authority to take action against those defaulting on payments or renting out the flats unlawfully, it has not exercised this authority beyond issuing notices every three months.
Speaking at an People's National Front (PNF) gathering Sunday evening, Yameen said that eviction notices alone will not resolve the issue. He claimed that political motivations have played a role in how housing has been distributed over the years.
According to Yameen, the situation began under former President Mohamed Nasheed, who he alleged allocated flats to Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters. He further claimed that President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih followed a similar approach by distributing land as elections approached. Yameen also criticised President Mohamed Muizzu’s administration, stating that similar practices continued via HDC.
“When land is distributed without cost, it creates inequality,” Yameen said. “Those who received land for free are under no obligation to pay rent, while others are being threatened with eviction for defaulting.”
Yameen also said housing is a fundamental right that should be distributed equitably, criticising the system where some people benefit from free land and others face the risk of eviction from rental properties.
He further noted that while some individuals live on land received free of charge, others continue to struggle with rent payments. Some, he said, rent out their flats because they cannot afford to keep up with the payments.
Earlier, the government had announced a 20 percent reduction in monthly rent for housing units across the Greater Malé Area and other regions as a temporary measure to ease payment burdens. Despite this, the Ministry of Housing stated in August that tenants who continue to default would face action. However, rent collection remains irregular.
