Housing Rules Eased for Guardians of People with Disabilities in Malé

The Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development has simplified the application process for guardians of persons with disabilities seeking government housing. Guardians registered with the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) are no longer required to submit copies of their agency-issued identification cards, as the ministry will now verify this information internally to streamline processing. These changes apply to the 'Family Housing' (Aailee Boahiyaavahikan) programme, which opened for applications on April 1. The deadline for all submissions is Monday, June 15, at 11:59 p.m. Under guidelines amended last February, eligibility is generally restricted to those who have continuously resided in the Malé region for at least five years. However, the government has expanded this criteria to include individuals who have spent the past year receiving medical treatment in Malé. This exception applies to those who lack the financial means to live in the capital and whose required treatments are unavailable on their home islands or atolls. These policy adjustments coincide with the ongoing construction of approximately 4,500 housing units, developed through partnerships with India and China. While contracted firms are currently building 4,000 of these units, additional projects are advancing across the atolls via corporate contracting and soft-loan assistance for privately owned land. The initiative is part of the administration's broader 'Housing for All' (Boahiyaavahikan Enmenah) strategy, aimed at reducing the national housing deficit. In line with this mission, the application window for both residential flats and land plots is also set to close on June 15.