Ministry’s spending plans include building more than 3,700 freehold homes

TDT | Manama

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Housing and Urban Planning Minister, Her Excellency Amna Al Rumaihi, has laid out the ministry’s spending plans for the coming cycle.

This will include building more than 3,700 freehold homes in existing housing developments and over 4,000 units in partnership with the private sector through the Lands Right Development programme.

They will be spread across 11 sites.

This comes as the waiting list for government housing has shrunk by 17 per cent in two years, dropping from 55,000 to 47,000 requests, despite a steady stream of new applications.

Al Rumaihi pointed to immediate housing schemes, financing programmes, and the Mazaya scheme as the driving forces behind the reduction.

More than 8,000 housing requests have been met through these schemes since their introduction, she said, adding that they will continue to play a role in the ministry’s plans.

The budget for housing projects over the next two years is among the largest the ministry has seen, she said, and reflects the backing given to the sector.

Target numbers

A 10-year plan was set in motion in early 2022 to meet target numbers, she added.

The ministry has also introduced immediate services to shorten waiting times, even as new applications come in by the thousands each year.

With these schemes and other state-backed housing options, waiting lists have already seen a marked drop.

The ministry, Al Rumaihi said, will press ahead with plans to meet demand. She added that housing work goes beyond building and funding homes, with different partnerships being explored with the private sector to meet changing needs.

Housing services will continue to be reviewed to keep pace with expectations, she said, and the budget earmarked for the sector will help to push things further.