Kulhudhuffushi City Council has revealed the 105 rowhouses under the housing project that commenced in 2012 will be completed and handed over in August.
The 165-rowhouse development project was launched in 2012. Out of these only 60 rowhouses were handed over so far. The remaining 105 rowhouses were left in ruins. The government resumed the project last year after no work on the houses was carried out for the past seven years. The entire structure of the houses was completed when the project stalled, and the roofs were completed on many of the houses. Meanwhile, tenants were selected for the rowhouses in 2015, although the work of the houses was completely stopped. The residents have been eagerly waiting for the completion of the rowhouses for the past seven years.
Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure contracted Donbez Private Limited to complete the construction of the 105 housing units in Kulhudhuffushi. The company was tasked with completing the housing units in 240 days at a cost of USD 3 million.
Kulhudhuffushi City Council member Rilwan Mohamed said the work resumed with major changes. He said major changes are being made to the roof structure as it has been damaged. He added all partitions have now been changed to walls. He revealed tenants are allowed for site visits every three months to check the progress, and considering the speed of the work, the rowhouses can be handed over to tenants in August this year. He added work is also underway to connect water and electricity to the rowhouses.
Each row house will have two floors with three bedrooms. The rent for the 60 houses previously allocated under the project is USD195. The population of the city is close to 10,000. The council said there are more than 1,200 people in need of housing.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has announced the government is set to develop 1,400 housing units in Kulhudhuffushi. He made the statement while officiating the ceremony held at Kulhudhuffushi to mark National Youth Day. Speaking at the ceremony, President Solih said 400 housing units will be developed in Kulhudhuffushi this year as part of the government's nationwide mega housing project. He also said the government has finished negotiations with a foreign party to develop an additional 1,000 housing units in the city. The purpose of the project is to alleviate the worsening housing situation in the city, he said.
The city council expects the housing projects to improve the living standards of the residents and minimise housing issues.