MPs Back Plan to Scrap Five-Year Housing Allowance Delay

TDT | Manama

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A push to scrap the five-year wait for housing allowance payments has cleared Parliament, setting the stage for families to receive support from the moment their application is approved. MP Jalal Kadhem, who put forward the plan, said it was long overdue.

‘The cost of living keeps climbing, but support is locked behind a five-year delay,’ he said. ‘Why should families, especially newlyweds, be left scrambling for rent while waiting for help that should already be in their hands?’

He questioned why the current system forces applicants to wait half a decade before seeing a single dinar, describing it as an unnecessary hurdle for those already stretched thin. ‘What’s the reason for holding off? People don’t apply for housing support because they enjoy paperwork. They apply because they need it.’

Housing costs, both for buyers and renters, have been climbing steadily, he noted, putting pressure on those trying to keep a roof over their heads. He argued that early payments would take some of the weight off families, particularly young couples just starting out.

Kadhem urged fellow MPs to stand behind the plan, pointing out that Bahrain’s Constitution guarantees housing support for low-income citizens. ‘This aims to give people a fair go,’ he said. ‘No one should be forced to spend years juggling rent and expenses while waiting for the help they were promised.’