Applications to open for housing project

Applications for the government’s latest housing scheme will open on Sunday, the Housing Ministry has said.

Launched with fireworks at a groundbreaking ceremony in November 2017, the Hiyaa housing project involves the construction of 36 towers with one, two and three-bedroom apartments to house 80,000 people, according to the President’s Office.

Housing Minister Dr. Mohamed Muizzu tweeted on Monday night that applications for the 12 categories of the housing project would be available at the Dharubaaruge Convention Center in Malé.

Several state-owned enterprises have announced plans to build the towers and opened up the bidding process for their construction. Groundwork for some of the towers has already started.

“Private companies along with state companies and government offices will be part of this mega project, the first of its kind,” the president’s office said in November.

Plots have been awarded to state-owned enterprises as well as the Maldives National University and the Islamic University, which would undertake development. The towers will be built by 2019.

In separate projects, construction is under way on 7,000 social housing units and 1,530 mid to high-range units in Hulhumalé.

Yameen’s administration plans to relocate and settle 70 percent of the country’s 338,000 population in a ‘Youth City’ developed on the artificial island of Hulhmalé.

A considerable proportion of Maldivians live on the congested capital island.

Yameen was ridiculed last month for saying the capital was not congested or overcrowded, despite the tiny city being home to almost 40 percent of the country’s population.