Applications for land plots under two new programs to open next month

Housing Minister Dr. Abdulla Muththalib has announced that applications for the two new programs recently unveiled under the government's housing project will open early next month.

The new housing program was initially announced by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu during his Presidential Address. In the current programs, individuals are ineligible to apply if their spouse already owns housing in the Malé region.

Consequently, to ensure housing accessibility for all, the President stated that a specific category will soon be opened allowing individuals to apply even if housing is registered in the name of their spouse.

The second component of the new program includes a category for those who received land plots through joint applications under the previous government's "Binveriya" scheme; if all joint owners agree to relinquish the shared plot, they will be issued individual plots of land.

Sharing details about the program, Muththalib stated that the regulations are now almost entirely finalized and that efforts are underway to publish them before Ramadan.

According to Muththalib, the government is working to open applications for the program early next month.

"The hope is, God willing, we are looking to publish the regulation before this month of Ramadan. We are then looking to open for applications by early March at the latest," he said.

Muththalib explained that under the new program, even if a spouse owns a place in the Malé area, an individual can apply for land as long as there is no property registered in their own name. The Minister said that in the new regulations, the state is focusing on securing land for families who do not own any.

As an example, he mentioned that they are considering why someone who received a Hiyaa flat should be barred from applying for land and how a solution can be brought to such matters.

Under the previous government's Binveriya project, the minimum size for a land plot was 1,225 square feet. However, the policy allowed for an additional 400 square feet for every extra person included in a joint application with family members, up to a maximum of 4,000 square feet.

This government has decided that if all parties who obtained land jointly agree to give up that plot, they will be given individual plots for each person.

Muththalib stated that the decision to give separate plots to each family was made because the Binveriya scheme has led to social issues. The Minister alleged that people who could not live together due to family disputes were forced to submit joint applications to obtain land at the time.

"Many family members were forced to join and become joint owners. At the time, the government was saying that if you don't join, you won't get it. Therefore, people with family issues, and those with problems preventing them from building and living together, also obtained land by joining together," he said.

Muththalib mentioned that those who obtained land jointly have been requesting a way to receive separate plots. Thus, the opportunity has been opened so that if everyone agrees, individual plots will be issued to all of them. He noted that some might ask why an individual cannot simply relinquish their portion of a joint plot and move forward. He explained that doing so would leave small, unusable fragments of land vacant, preventing efficient land use.

"That is why the government decided that if everyone agrees to relinquish the entire plot, we will facilitate the opportunity for those parties to obtain individual plots."

While he did not know the exact level of demand for this, Muththalib stated that the opportunity was opened to find a solution to a social problem. During his Presidential Address, the President stated that 1,000 land plots would be designated for these two categories under the new program. He also mentioned that these plots are intended to be given from Rasmalé, which is currently being reclaimed.