Govt to review Malé 5-year residency rule for housing eligibility
Responding to the request to ease the rule, President Muizzu said the government would look into addressing the issue “in a positive manner”.
The government will review the requirement that applicants must have lived in Malé for five years to qualify for land allocation under its new housing policy, President Mohamed Muizzu said on Sunday.
The President made the remarks during a meeting with residents of Henveiru at Kalaafaanu School, after a member of the public raised concerns about the residency condition.
Responding to the request to ease the rule, President Muizzu said the government would look into addressing the issue “in a positive manner”.
“We will consider making the maximum relaxation possible, shortening the period as much as possible, or removing the requirement entirely. We will see what changes can be made,” he said.
The government introduced its ‘Housing for All’ policy on 16 November, with detailed rules for land and flat allocation expected to be published next month.
During the meeting, Hussain Aswan highlighted difficulties created by the five-year residency requirement. He said:
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He and his six siblings grew up in Malé on their mother’s family land.
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After the house was divided and his mother did not receive land, the family moved to Addu.
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As a result, none of the siblings qualified for the previous government’s ‘Binveriya’ scheme.
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They have now been living in Malé again for three years.
Under the announced policy framework, land will be allocated to two groups: long-term Malé residents and residents of other islands who have lived in Malé for extended periods. Aswan said the five-year requirement excludes people like him who previously lived in Malé but cannot meet the new condition.
He said the rule creates a gap that prevents eligible families from accessing housing opportunities.
