President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has placed housing at the forefront of his Administration’s agenda, unveiling an expansive programme aimed at easing the Malé region’s deepening housing crisis while announcing a new round of community meetings to gather residents’ views on development priorities.
Speaking at the Rayyithunnaa Eku Kuriah – Hafthaa 104 ceremony at the Maldives Centre for Social Education, held to mark the government’s second anniversary, Muizzu said the new housing initiative is intended to offer a “sustainable and long-term solution” to what he described as one of the country’s most urgent social challenges. He said the crisis affects not only native Malé families but also the many long-term residents who have made the capital their home.
The President reiterated that housing remains the government’s foremost pledge, arguing that meaningful progress in social and economic well-being cannot be achieved without addressing long-standing shortages. He revealed that agreements have been finalised to construct 825 housing units across 13 islands, with additional developments to be included in next year’s budget. All housing commitments made to the islands, he said, will be delivered within the next three years.
Focusing on the capital, Muizzu said the Administration’s immediate priority is to complete unfinished projects initiated by the previous government. Keys have already been issued to 84 recipients of the ongoing 4,000-unit Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation (FDC) project, and he pledged that all remaining flats would be handed over before Ramadan.
Muizzu detailed plans to allocate land from reclaimed areas in Hulhumalé and Gulhifalhu, with further plots to be issued from Giraavaru Falhu and Hulhumalé Phase 3 once reclamation works conclude. He emphasised that plots will only be allocated after reclamation is fully completed. The list of beneficiaries for the major reclamation project starting in December will be confirmed once the project finishes in April. He added that 15,000 plots will be distributed in the first phase of the Rasmalé development, with a total of 25,000 plots of 1,250 square feet planned across the entire project.
The President also highlighted that the Bank of Maldives has begun developing 3,000 housing units, while a further 4,500 units are expected to be constructed with support from international partners. He reaffirmed that social housing under the rent-to-own model will have rents capped at MVR 10,000 for three-bedroom units.
Alongside the housing push, Muizzu announced that the government will begin holding city-wide consultations next week. Meetings will take place across all four wards of Malé, as well as in Vilimalé and the two phases of Hulhumalé. He said these sessions follow his visits to every atoll, where discussions with local councils and Women’s Development Committees had been “productive and successful.” Similar engagement, he said, is now required in the capital. Additional forums will also be organised with small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as women-led and youth-led businesses.
As the Administration enters its third year, the sweeping housing drive — combined with an effort to draw residents directly into the policymaking process — is emerging as a defining test of Muizzu’s leadership and his promise to tackle the capital’s most persistent challenges.
