MPs demand immediate action on crumbling homes, thousands await relief

TDT | Manama

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Thousands of crumbling homes across Bahrain, including more than 1,200 in the Capital Governorate alone, remain in disrepair as MPs grapple with a government housing project abandoned in 2009.

The Council of Representatives debated the issue yesterday, driven by mounting concerns over unsafe homes and overcrowding.

The request to discuss the matter was submitted by MPs Jaleela Al Sayed, Dr Ali Al Nuaimi, Mahmood Fardan, Dr Hisham Al Ashiri, Abdulnabi Salman, Ahmed Qarata, Mohammed Al Olaiwi, Hanan Fardan, Basma Mubarak, and Jalal Kadhem.

Situation

First Deputy Speaker Abdulnabi Salman described the situation as dire, accusing authorities of leaving vulnerable families to fend for themselves.

“These homes are waiting for someone to rescue them,” he said, warning of a looming disaster. “In the Capital Governorate alone, over 1,200 houses are on the brink of collapse. Claiming that there’s no money is no excuse.”

Second Deputy Speaker Ahmed Qarata pointed to the long delay in tackling the problem, recalling how the project was handed over to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning in 2012.

He dismissed piecemeal repairs as ineffective, particularly in Manama, where many houses are beyond salvage.

“They’ve put rain barriers on homes that are falling apart,” he said. “The Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities has frozen old properties, calling them heritage homes, but they’ve become ruins inhabited only by bachelors.”

Conditions

Qarata shared an example of a four-room house occupied by five families, questioning how anyone could live in such conditions.

“This is unacceptable,” he said. “Which ministry will step up to fix it?”

Dr Ali Al Nuaimi added his concerns, calling on the private sector to take responsibility.

“Businesses cannot ignore this. Overcrowding, particularly among labourers, was one of the main reasons COVID-19 spread so quickly,” he said. “The project to address these dilapidated homes must be revived, and the excuse of no funding doesn’t hold water.”

MP Mahmood Fardan spoke of families forced to remain in unsafe homes because they have no other choice.

“These people are clinging to the hope that this project will be brought back to life,” he said.

Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, His Excellency Wael Al Mubarak, defended the government’s track record, saying the project began in 2004 under the Ministry of Works and Housing in cooperation with governorates and municipal councils.

“We started with 800 housing units, and when the project was moved to the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs, we added 2,700 more,” he said.

He also mentioned the Urban and Rural Development Project launched in 2006, which included renovations for 3,500 homes and the installation of 8,000 rain barriers.

Preventive repairs

“These were preventive repairs aimed at extending the life of these homes,” he said.

Despite these efforts, MPs stressed that thousands of families remain trapped in precarious conditions, with no end in sight.

They urged the government to take action to prevent further deterioration and provide relief for those affected.