OpEd: Why the Aailee Boahiyavahikan Programme Prioritises Families Without a Home or Land Plot

In recent days, there have been understandable concerns and questions about the eligibility criteria under the Aailee Boahiyavahikan Programme, particularly in cases where an applicant’s spouse already holds a property.

These questions are valid. Housing is deeply personal, and policies that affect it must be explained plainly and honestly.

This article aims to explain why the Aailee Boahiyavahikan Programme prioritises families with no home or land plot at all, and why that approach is not only fair, but necessary.

Public housing policy exists for one reason: to ensure no family is left without a basic foundation for dignity and stability. Housing is not a bonus to be optimised. It is the starting point for everything else, including education, health, employment, and social cohesion.

When a family has no home and no land, their vulnerability is absolute. When a family has some form of housing access, even if limited or shared, their situation, while still challenging, is fundamentally different.

Public policy must recognise that difference.

The Aailee Boahiyavahikan Programme is guided by a simple and just principle: those with nothing must be prioritised before those with something. This is not a moral judgement, nor is it a statement about deservingness. It is about preventing the deepest form of housing insecurity first.

A family with no home or land has:

• no fallback option,

• no long-term security, and

• no buffer against rising costs or displacement.

A family where one spouse owns a home or land, regardless of size, has some level of security, even if imperfect. When resources are limited, prioritisation is not discrimination. It is responsibility.

Housing demand is created by households, not individuals. Families share space, income, responsibilities, and risk. That is why the Aailee Boahiyavahikan Programme assesses household-level access, not individual ownership in isolation.

If a household already has a home or land, allocating an additional publicly funded unit before another family receives their first would deepen inequality rather than reduce it.

Public housing must stabilise households, not accumulate assets.

Some have asked:

“What if the property is small?”

“What if it belongs to the spouse?”

“What if it was inherited?”

These situations are recognised, which is why:

• families with children under 18 are treated differently even if they live in one-room or two-room apartments, and 

• thresholds such as land size are used to distinguish between minimal access and substantial ownership.

The policy does not ignore complexity, but it must still draw clear, enforceable lines to remain fair and transparent.

Several specific scenarios have been raised, and it is important to address them clearly.

Some have asked whether future inheritance affects eligibility. Potential or expected inheritance is not treated as current housing or land access. Eligibility under the Aailee Boahiyavahikan Programme is assessed based on ownership at the time of application. If an applicant or their spouse does not presently own a home or land, the possibility of inheriting land in the future does not prevent them from applying.

Others have asked whether an applicant who already owns land or a property can apply if they are willing to forfeit that ownership. The answer is no. If an applicant already has a home or land, they are not eligible under the programme. Willingness to give up existing ownership does not change this. This reflects the same core principle that guides the programme: families with no access to housing or land must be prioritised before those who already have some level of access.

Questions have also been raised regarding eligibility for registered Malé residents who are currently living abroad or residing on another island. Registered Malé residents may apply even if they are living abroad or outside Malé, provided they meet all other eligibility criteria. However, long-term Malé residents who are registered in other islands are not eligible to apply if they are living abroad or on another island. Limited exceptions apply in specific circumstances, such as individuals studying abroad or those temporarily placed outside Malé by their employer for a defined period.

There have also been questions about where land plots under the programme will be allocated from. The majority of the 15,000 land plots will be allocated from Rasmale’, with a smaller number allocated from Uthuruthilafalhu. Allocation locations are determined by availability, planning considerations, and the need to deliver serviced plots in a timely and sustainable manner.

Together, these clarifications reflect the programme’s intent to assess real and present housing need, rather than hypothetical future circumstances, while applying consistent and transparent rules across all applicants.

It is important to state this clearly: these eligibility rules are not permanent barriers. They exist because housing supply is still catching up with demand.

As the Government delivers social housing units, land plots, affordable ownership schemes, and private-sector housing, pressure on public housing will ease. When every family has access to at least one home or land plot, the policy will evolve.

At that stage, guidelines will be relaxed, eligibility will widen, and additional opportunities will be created. But fairness requires that no family is left without a first home while others receive a second.

The programme is called Aailee Boahiyavahikan because housing insecurity affects families, not individuals in isolation. Families carry children, elderly parents, dependents, and shared responsibilities. Public housing must therefore prioritise households where instability has the widest social impact.

This is not about exclusion. It is about protecting those at greatest risk first.

At its core, the Aailee Boahiyavahikan Programme is guided by one principle: public housing must first ensure that every family has somewhere to stand. Once that foundation is secured, opportunity can expand.

This is how we ensure that Housing for All truly means all, starting with those who have none.