President Muizzu Vows Permanent Housing for Most Male’ Residents by 2028

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has pledged that the majority of residents in the capital city, Male’, will secure permanent housing by 2028. The announcement comes as the administration intensifies efforts to alleviate the chronic housing shortage that has forced thousands of families into expensive, unstable rental markets. Speaking during the second episode of the "Rayyithunge Adu" programme, the President engaged with citizens who highlighted the hardships of living in Male’ without land ownership. Many residents shared accounts of spending years moving between apartments, burdened by skyrocketing rents and the lack of permanent residency options. In response, President Muizzu assured the public that the government is accelerating the construction of flats in both the capital and the atolls. He emphasized that these projects would be shielded from external influence and interference, promising a transparent process for handing over units to recipients. This commitment extends to those previously overlooked. During a meeting with Henveiru residents, the President confirmed that individuals excluded from the previous administration's Hiyaa social housing scheme would be eligible for consideration under the current government's first social housing initiative. To meet this demand, the government is currently developing several large-scale projects in Hulhumale’ and Villimale’. These include 3,260 flats managed through the Bank of Maldives (BML) Affordable Home Leasing Company and an additional 1,000 units in Hulhumale’ delivered through a public-private partnership. The scale of the crisis is reflected in the overwhelming response to the latest housing call, which saw 58,505 applications submitted for land and flats. The Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development is currently evaluating these requests, with the first batch of flat recipients expected to be notified by the end of this year.