President: People can begin inhabiting Hulhumale’ towers in 2018

People can begin living at housing units built under the massive housing scheme in Phase II of Hulhumale’ Development Project – designed to provide housing to 80,000 people – as soon as the coming year, says President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.

Speaking at the launching of the housing scheme “Hiyaa” at Hulhumale’ last Saturday night, Yameen said the scheme involved building 62 14-story towers and was the single largest scheme which will provide housing to the largest number of people at once.

Yameen said construction of all 62 towers will be complete within 2019, but that people can begin dwelling at some of the towers as soon as 2018.

There were discrepancies in the details provided regarding the “Hiyaa’ project by different State officials.

Both Managing Director of Housing Development Corporation, Mohamed Saiman and Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu provided no details regarding the housing units in their speeches.

Minister of Economic Development, Mohamed Saeed said the “Hiyaa’ project involved 16 25-story towers. The President’s Office’s press statement a short while later said the project involved 10,080 housing units in total 36 towers, and that the towers would have one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom housing units.

Yameen said his administration launched “Hiyaa” after the less than satisfactory results of the housing scheme launched in 2015. He said the “Hiyaa” project was under his direct supervision, and run by a team of Cabinet ministers.

“I want to make this happen this time. I want to prove we can do this. In Sha Allah, this scheme shall not fail,” said Yameen.

Total 22 companies are involved in the construction of the towers; they include State companies, private companies and two international companies.

Yameen said half of the towers will be occupied by the general public, and the other my Maldivians employed by the companies which build the towers.

“In Sha Allah, people shall start living in the towers we have laid the foundations for tonight, in 2018. And as the rest of the towers are completed, the apartments in the upper stories will be completed in 2019,” said Yameen.

Yameen said the State was also open to adding five or 10 towers to the project, if necessary.

Yameen noted that State housing units were currently being built in 19 islands, and that money has been allocated in the State budget for 2018 to build housing units in more islands.

He said the “Hiyaa” housing scheme and the housing schemes planned for 2018 will provide housing to 200,000 people.