Villingili Island Council, Gaaf Alif Atoll, on Saturday said it is working to extend the application deadline for newly developed housing units.
The government, under its social housing scheme, is developing housing units in major population centres across the country, where Villingili is one of the many islands.
The programme would see the development of 52 row houses in Villingili, which fit three categories. 37 would be developed under category-A for residents of the island. Category-B would see the development of 5 row houses for families wishing to migrate to Villingili. 10 Row houses built under Category-C would be sold through competitive bidding.
Villingili Island Council said it received 80 application forms by the June 30 deadline. They include 61 applications received for category-A, and 19 submitted for row houses built under category-B.
Villingili Island Council President Niyaz Nizar said they are working to extend the application deadline, following request from residents. He said they have already shared with the Housing Ministry the applicants’ concerns about the decision to raise the down payment for row houses from MVR20,000 to MVR25,000.
Housing Minister Dr Mohamed Muiz said the down payment was increased following a rise in construction costs. He said the housing units are subsidised by the Government to make them more affordable.