Housing Ministry has amended eligibility rules under the special disability category of the government’s housing scheme, allowing parents to apply for flats on behalf of persons with disabilities.

The ministry announced today that applications under the category can now be submitted by a parent instead of the individual with disabilities.

Applications for the housing scheme will open on 20 May and close on 15 June.

The government has also revised residency requirements for applicants under the disability category.

While the general requirement for the current housing programme is 15 consecutive years of residence in the Greater Male' area, people with disabilities will now only need to show five consecutive years of residence to qualify.

The revised rules also allow applications from individuals who relocated to Male' to access disability-related services or who regularly travel to the capital for treatment and support.

The housing scheme includes the allocation of 7,900 flats and 15,000 land plots measuring 1,250 square feet.