President: People will begin living in this administration’s flats this year

Some of the housing projects launched by the current administration in the Maldivian capital will be complete and people will begin living in some of the units within this year, states President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

Speaking during his campaign event at MDP Haruge on Wednesday night, President Solih said work was in progress to build 8,782 housing units in the greater Male’ area.

“In Sha Allah, we will make some of the flats we are building habitable for residents of Male’ before the five-year term of this administration comes to an end,” he said.

President Solih said that no previous administration has managed to complete a housing project they started and populate the flats before the end of term.

This administration will change this, he vowed.

President Solih provided assurance he will deliver his pledge to provide land to 5,000 Male’ residents.

“We will mark the perimeter and provide it to Male residents within this five-year term,” he said.

President Solih’s administration aims to build 13,000-15,000 flats in the greater Male’ area. The administration has been hit will criticism over delay in providing the promised housing. The failure to deliver the pledge is a key focus by President Solih’s rival in the upcoming MDP presidential primary, the party’s leader and Parliament speaker Mohamed Nasheed.

Two of the biggest housing projects underway in Hulhumale’ are contracted to India’s JMC Projects and National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC).

The two companies are constructing total 4,000 flats. The expected project completion date is 2024-2025.

Work is also underway on the Apollo Housing Project – which will see the construction of 120 council housing units, 220 affordable housing units, and 660 midrange housing units in Hulhumale Phase I and II.

President Solih’s administration aims to complete some of the units and make them habitable before the end of term.