MPs push for national platform to repair homes of low-income families

TDT | Manama

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A national “Tarmeem” platform to repair the homes of low-income Bahrainis will be debated by Parliament on Tuesday, under a proposal to create a single route for spotting and fixing houses at risk of collapse across the country.

The proposal, put forward by MPs Basema Mubarak, Mamdouh Al Saleh, Dr Mahdi Al Shuwaikh, Deputy Speaker Abdulnabi Salman and Hanan Fardan, calls for the platform to be overseen by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, working with the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and the Ministry of Social Development.

MP Basema Mubarak said some low-income families were living in homes “liable to collapse, or strongly at risk of becoming liable to collapse”. She said early repairs would keep costs down, adding: “A simple repair will extend the life of the building for many years and will be less costly.”

The lawmaker warned that waiting could leave owners facing a heavier bill, saying: “If the property deteriorates more than that, it will be difficult to repair and it will carry large and exhausting costs.”

The proposal says repairs would help extend the life of buildings and protect Bahrain’s built character and long-standing Islamic heritage.

Plans

It also calls for making use of Bahraini engineering graduates to put forward repair plans aimed at keeping homes safe and fit to live in.

The platform would be funded through money set aside in the state budget, alongside donations and grants accepted by the ministry, according to the proposal.

It also calls for temporary housing for families during repair work, aiming to avoid extra burdens on households.

Mubarak said families should be offered suitable temporary accommodation during works without harm to their usual standard of living.

In its reply, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning said the aim of the proposal was already being met through renovation finance already offered to eligible citizens under existing rules.

It cited Decree-Law No. 10 of 1976 on housing, which sets out the ministry’s role in providing services for low-income citizens, including finance to buy, build or renovate a home, and pointed to Ministerial Decision No. 868 of 2022 on financing services, which defines renovation finance as bank funding for renewal, maintenance, fixing urgent structural defects, or necessary additions and changes.