The government will amend housing rules to allow families to retain land allocated under its family housing programme, instead of forfeiting it to the state, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has said.
Under current requirements, applicants for flats and land must declare that they do not own or will relinquish property exceeding 400 square feet. The provision has effectively required some applicants to give up such property to the state.
Speaking at a press conference today, President Muizzu said the rule would be revised so that land exceeding the 400 square foot threshold can instead be transferred to a family member, including a spouse, child or sibling.
“The land does not have to be forfeited to the government. It can be transferred within the family,” he said, adding that the amendment would be announced publicly within days.
The revised rule will also apply to recipients of land and flats under previous government's housing schemes.
President Muizzu said individuals who had been required to surrender property would now be allowed to transfer ownership to immediate family members instead.
He noted that, in many cases, land allocated under earlier programmes had already been developed using loans, creating complex financial situations for recipients.
“The flats were to be handed back to the government, but many people have already invested in these properties, often through loans. These are complicated cases,” he said.
Despite the amendment, eligibility criteria for housing schemes will remain unchanged.
Applicants must still demonstrate that they do not own more than 400 square feet of land. Where land is co-owned, their individual share must not exceed that threshold.
The requirement is set out in the affidavit submitted with housing applications through the government’s housing portal.
President Muizzu said the policy change was intended to ease the burden on households while ensuring property remains within families.
