Govt to address housing issues in narrow lanes of Malé
He said the shortage of land in Malé has resulted in overcrowded living conditions for some residents.
Housing, Land and Urban Development Minister Abdulla Muththalib said on Wednesday that the government plans to address housing conditions faced by families living in narrow alleys in Malé.
Speaking at a press conference at the President’s Office, the minister said the issue had been identified during visits conducted by President Mohamed Muizzu to households in the capital.
According to the minister, some families live in subdivided spaces on inherited land that has not been developed due to various constraints. He said the shortage of land in Malé has resulted in overcrowded living conditions for some residents.
“These are families who have missed housing opportunities through previous government programmes. In some areas, the alleys are narrow and the houses have limited ventilation,” Muththalib said.
The minister said the government intends to identify such locations and develop plans to address the housing situation of residents living in these conditions.
He said the approach will focus on identifying and documenting households affected by these conditions instead of requiring them to apply through standard housing procedures.
“Our plan is to identify these families and create a process that allows them to move from their current living conditions,” he said.
Muththalib said that despite housing programmes implemented by successive governments, some families have not benefited from them.
He added that policy adjustments are currently being prepared to implement measures aimed at addressing these housing issues.
