Council approves Dhafthar registration for residents who lose FDC flats

The Malé City Council has approved a policy allowing residents who lose Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation (FDC) flats due to financial difficulties to be registered in the Malé Dhafthar.

The decision was taken during the council's meeting on Wednesday following a proposal submitted by Mayor Adam Azim.

Under FDC housing arrangements, ownership of flats is transferred only after all instalment payments have been completed. Existing lease agreements allow the corporation to repossess units if tenants fail to make regular payments.

Mayor Azim proposed that individuals who lose their flats through repossession, or who are forced to sell their units because they are unable to meet payment obligations, should be eligible for inclusion in the Malé Dhafthar. The policy would also apply to members of the household registered under the affected property.

During the discussion, Azim noted that recipients of FDC flats are required to transfer their official address registration to the allocated property. If they later lose the flat, they also lose that registered address.

Councillors raised concerns about the potential impact of the proposal.

Among the concerns discussed were:

Some councillors proposed that eligibility should be assessed on a case-by-case basis, including checks on whether applicants or their families have access to housing elsewhere in the country.

They argued that individuals with alternative housing options outside Malé should not automatically qualify for inclusion in the registry.

Mayor Azim, however, said residents who have established their lives in Malé must continue to have a recognised registration status and could not simply be removed from the system.

Following further debate, councillors agreed on a compromise under which individuals admitted to the Dhafthar under these circumstances would be registered under a separate category identifying their status.

The motion was approved with the support of most councillors present.

Three councillors voted against the proposal:

The Malé Dhafthar is a registry used to record residents of the capital who do not own land or housing in Malé and is often used as a reference in the allocation of government housing schemes.