Solution to Male' housing crisis to freely issue land from across Maldives: Minister Aslam
Expressed that it was important to welcome those who wished to relocate outside of the capital
Expressed disappointment that some island communities were not more welcoming of outsiders
Minister of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure Mohamed Aslam has stated that the solution to the Male' housing crisis is to issue land from across the Maldives.
The incumbent administration is aiming to resolve the Male' housing crisis by issuing land from Gulhi Falhu. However, Minister Aslam noted that this was not a permanent solution, and stated that there was not enough land in Gulhi Falhu to cater to the housing needs of all in the Male' region.
Speaking on Raajje TV's "Fashaa Iru" programme, Minister Aslam stated that the issue with allocating land to residents in Male' was caused by unmanageable levels of population density. Minister Aslam noted that this could be resolved if regulations were implemented to allow people to settle on land from locations of their choosing across the Maldives.
Minsiter Aslam went on to note that Local Councils were not supportive of issuing land from allocating land from islands to outsiders, and described this as a huge obstacle in implementing the policy. Minister Aslam highlighted that non-residents should also be eligible to own land from an island, and expressed that the national housing crisis could be resolved if such a thing were implemented.
Taking the integrated community of Maafushi island as an example, Minister Aslam said that residents of islands would need to be more open to the prospect of others entering their communities, as they would also be contributing to the overall development of the island.
