Distribution of 5000 housing units in Bahrain may realize the dreams of several citizens

Manama : Several citizens who have been waiting for housing units for decades now hope that the announcement made by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa will help realise their dream.
HRH Crown Prince has instructed to allocate 5000 housing units in line with HM King Hamad’s directive to deliver 40,000 housing units across Bahrain.
HRH Crown Prince’s latest instruction follows previous orders which led to the successful allocation of over 15,000 homes across different parts of Bahrain and comes after the recent inauguration of Salman Town, one of the Kingdom’s largest housing projects comprising 15,000 housing units.
However, several citizens in the Kingdom have been waiting for their dream homes for decades. Adel, a resident of Bahrain, is one of the many people who has been waiting for his dream home, his rightful due assured in the Constitution, since 1993.
 “In October 1993, I submitted my housing application for my dream house. Fed up with waiting, I took a temporary apartment in 2002. I have been living in the temporary abode since then. The matter was followed up by the ministry. I even met the Undersecretary who told me that I will get my house in Tubli. My neighbour was on the waiting list too. He was given a house in Nabih Saleh. All the people around me got their houses but I didn’t,” said Adel.
Adel took the matter further to catch the attention of the authorities and called the radio to highlight his problem.
“I called the radio four times, explaining my problem. Officials called me after that and assured me that I have a housing unit allocated in Tubli and that I’ll be receiving it but that never happened. It was all false promises. In June 2016, they contacted me again and informed me that they will give me a house in Lozi and I wondered why I was promised in a different place. I received nothing after that,” he said.
“I wrote a complaint to the ministry and months later they contacted me and assured me once again that I have a house allocated for me in Lozi and I’m still waiting for that house. It is strange how all those who were allocated houses in Lozi received the addresses and signed the contracts in 2016 while I’m made to wait,” he wondered.
Adel said he doesn’t like to clash with anyone and all he wants is the right he is entitled to. “I am a Bahraini citizen and all I ask for is for my right. I am a grandfather now and have two grandchildren. I always dreamt of a house in which I can embrace all my family members in but I unfortunately still live in an apartment,” said Adel who is still felt hopeful od getting his unit.
Explaining the difficulties in obtaining a housing unit, Abdullah Issa, another applicant said: “My housing requests go back to 2001, I am from Riffa and many people’s requests here go back to the 1990s and the beginning of the millennium. When I applied, I was alone with my wife. Today, 17 years later, I have a family of seven. We live in a small three-room apartment. It is not enough, and we still wait for our residential unit.”
“We know that laws in Bahrain are for the good of the citizens, but waiting for a long 17 years is absurd,” he said.
“My husband, who died years ago, had his housing request cancelled for being very old. After he died, my son applied for a housing unit, so that we could have a house to live in. My son’s request goes back to 2007. Today, my son’s family has five members. We are currently renting two apartments. I receive a total of BD350 as my husband’s pension, and my son’s salary is BD600 which is a total of BD950 from which we pay BD450 for the two apartments. It is hard and tough waiting for years and years,” said Um Ayman, a widow from Qalali.
“The delay in meeting the housing demands of low-income citizens causes great embarrassment. Many are forced to live in very small apartments that are not commensurate with the size of their families. The average rental price of an apartment in Bahrain is 240 dinars, and the rent varies from one area to another. In Muharraq, the average rent is BD220 for a two-room apartment. In Manama, the average rent for apartments is BD280. Citizens get only BD100 as compensation,” said MP Adel bin Humaid.
“I recently submitted an application for housing. For the past 3 years, I have been seeing the suffering of my fellow applicants, and I fear the same to happen to me. I think that the legislators should suggest increasing the compensation gradually because rental rates are rising,” said Mohammed Anwar, another applicant.

Govt distributed 15000 housing units, says Minister

Manama : In line with the holy month of Ramadhan to meet the needs of citizens and follow-up the efforts of the government under the chairmanship of His Royal Highness, Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Minister of Housing, Bassem Al-Hamr, has announced the distribution of 5000 housing units.
The announcement follows the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander, First Deputy Prime Minister, to distribute 5000 housing units as per the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
 The Minister of Housing said that the ministry has succeeded in translating the orders of His Highness the Crown Prince to distribute more than 15000 housing units within a period of not more than two years to reality as per schedule, where the ministry was able to complete a number of housing projects in various governorates of the Kingdom, stressing that the ministry harnessed its capabilities to achieve this important housing programme and quickly meet the housing demands.
Al-Hamr added that the ministry is fully aware of the important role it plays in the speed of implementation of the projects listed in its plans and programmes, which is reflected in the frequency of distribution to citizens, stressing that the government is committed to distribute 25000 housing units as per the royal guidance to build 40,000 housing units, featured in the housing phase until 2018, in cooperation with the private sector.
Al-Hamr expressed his appreciation to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for the efforts and support for the Ministry of Housing, which will motivate all employees of the Ministry to provide housing services to implement the aspirations of the comprehensive development of His Majesty the King and the government’s vision for accelerating the pace of projects to meet housing demands.