Minister of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure Dr Abdulla Muththalib has said that 877 applications have been submitted so far under the government’s Housing for All policy, with verification of applications set to begin next week.
The first housing scheme under the Housing for All policy was opened for applications on 18 January.
Speaking on a programme on PSM News, the minister said that of the 877 applications received to date, 221 applicants have applied for land, while 416 have applied for flats. He added that 5,599 applications were submitted during the draft stage of the process.
The minister stressed that applying early does not provide any advantage in the allocation process. Instead, he said it is essential that applications are completed correctly and submitted with all required documents.
“There will be no additional benefits from applying early. There will be no additional marks, and this is not a first-come, first-served basis. It is very important to complete and submit the application properly,” he said.
He also urged members of the public not to submit applications with incorrect information or apply if they are ineligible, stating that such actions waste state resources.
“I strongly urge ineligible candidates not to submit forms with incorrect information. This is a waste of state resources. Eligible applicants should submit their applications properly with the required documents. There is sufficient time with 45 days for land and three months for flats,” the minister said.
Under the Housing for All policy, the government plans to allocate 15,000 plots of land in the Greater Malé region, including Rasmale’. A total of 7,900 flats will also be allocated in the Malé region.
Of the flats, 4,000 units have been allocated for residents of Malé City, 1,500 for residents of other atolls, and 2,400 for special priority categories.
The land allocation includes 10,000 plots for city residents, 3,000 plots for non-residents, and 500 plots for persons with disabilities. An additional 1,500 plots have been allocated for individuals relocating from narrow streets in the city.
The minister also noted that individuals who previously received one- or two-bedroom flats under earlier housing schemes may apply for three-bedroom flats, subject to specific conditions based on the number of children in the household.
The first housing scheme under the Housing for All policy was announced on 16 November last year, with the rules for land and flat allocation made public.
The deadline for submitting land applications under the scheme is March 4, while applications for flats close on 17 April.