Malé council approves motion to engage govt on housing policy
The motion was submitted by Galolhu North councillor Mohamed Saif Fathih and Galolhu West councillor Mariyam Nazima Mohamed Faiz.
The Malé City Council on Wednesday approved a request to the government seeking consultation with the council on the terms of the ‘Housing for All’ scheme.
The motion was submitted by Galolhu North councillor Mohamed Saif Fathih and Galolhu West councillor Mariyam Nazima Mohamed Faiz.
A previous council meeting held last week was adjourned due to the absence of a quorum. The item was placed again on the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting, at which the minimum quorum of 11 members was present.
The motion was approved by six votes. Five councillors voted in favour, while five abstained. Adam Azim, Mayor of Malé, cast the deciding vote.
Under the motion, the council will request the government to consult not only the city council but also the council’s housing committee and the government advisory committee on the housing scheme.
Speaking on the motion, Saif said public concerns had been raised regarding the terms and conditions of the housing scheme during the Maldivian Democratic Party council election primary campaign. He said consultation with the city council would allow these concerns to be addressed.
He said that in previous instances, the government had revised policies after initial decisions were taken without consultation. Saif also raised concerns about the impact of the scheme on women’s rights, stating that housing policies should reflect social realities in the Maldives, including divorce rates.
Saif said housing schemes should account for circumstances where individuals may lose access to housing following marital changes. He added that the city council had not been involved in the formulation of housing schemes under the previous administration and said the current government was following a similar approach.
Council members also noted that councillors from the People’s National Congress have been boycotting council meetings when items related to the government are included on the agenda. As a result, several council meetings have been unable to proceed in recent weeks.
