President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has announced plans for a strategic overhaul of national housing programmes, pledging to expand eligibility for land and flat ownership in response to persistent shortages that have long excluded families from homeownership.
Speaking to residents of Henveyru district in Malé City, President Muizzu confirmed that land reclamation projects near the capital are being accelerated to meet demand. The initiative, he said, is intended to confront the chronic housing constraints that have defined urban life for decades.
Central to his remarks was a pledge to revise the regulatory framework for land allocation in Malé. He indicated that his administration is actively considering a reduction, or complete abolition, of the current five‑year residency requirement. The change, he argued, would ease burdens on applicants and extend access to citizens previously disqualified by rigid stipulations.
Government officials highlighted flaws in earlier allocation processes, noting that applicants often struggled with unclear eligibility metrics. The administration of President Muizzu has introduced new guidelines to address ambiguities that undermined prior schemes, particularly in the calculation of residency periods. Officials said the reforms are intended to resolve longstanding grievances, including cases in which uninterrupted residency requirements failed to account for legitimate interruptions in tenancy.