Youth, women, hinterland residents key in next 5-year housing plan

…54% of allocations went to under-35s – housing Minister

Housing Minister Collin Croal has reminded that youth will remain a central focus of the Government’s next five-year housing plan, revealing that over the past five years, 54 per cent of all housing allocations were made to young people aged 35 and under. The disclosure was made via a social media post in which the Minister reflected on the housing component of President Dr Irfaan Ali’s December 17, Address to the Nation, outlining the Government’s Policy Agenda for Economic and Social Transformation over the next five years. According to Croal, the upcoming five-year plan places a deliberate focus on youth, building on achievements recorded during the previous period. He noted that an analysis of housing allocations revealed that a significant 54 per cent were issued to persons under the age of 35, a development he described as encouraging. “You will also find moving forward as part of our vision, our next five years will therefore seek a focus on youth. Now, interestingly, I want to refer back to what we have accomplished. What we have accomplished over the last five years in those allocations, it’s an interesting scenario whereby for young people, and here I speak towards persons who are under 35, 35 and under, the percentage of allocations that were done for young people who are under 35, it’s 54 percent.” The Minister explained that this shift signals improved opportunities for young people to achieve home ownership earlier in life, an aspiration that was often out of reach for previous generations due to financial constraints, limited access to mortgages, and long waiting periods for house lot allocations. These challenges, he said, had caused many individuals to lose hope of owning their own homes.

Women
Croal further highlighted that despite the allocation of more than 50,000 house lots during the last period, demand for housing remains high, with eligible applicants continuing to submit requests daily. In addition to youth, the Minister emphasised that women, particularly single mothers, remain a key focus of the housing programme. He disclosed that of the approximately 53,000 allocations made, over 43 per cent were granted to women. Based on analyses of housing applications, Croal said the majority of applicants are female, a trend he noted reflects the ongoing empowerment of women and the evolving social and economic direction of the country.

Hinterland
With this in mind, he also noted the hinterland, noting the continued housing development in hinterland regions, with more house construction and material support, highlighting that the hinterland is not left behind. “The entire country is part of our housing programme. And we have already, as part of our hinterland programme, over the last period, constructed over 400 houses in Regions One, Seven, Eight, and Nine. One will therefore see the expansion of the hinterland housing programme, which will mirror what we are doing on the coastline and which we are already implementing. This includes support with materials to assist persons in the hinterland, as well as the construction of houses in those areas.”
Croal underlined that this forms part of the financial support framework, adding that these initiatives represent the broad parameters through which empowerment is being pursued via housing and home ownership.

Community development
Shifting focus to green spaces, the Minister said that every functional recreational facility will include designated green areas within communities. He added that residents can also expect improvements in clean water and sanitation through coordinated efforts involving the ministry responsible for utilities and the Local Government Ministry. According to the Minister, the vision for community development also includes enhanced social services and modern economic and social infrastructure to improve access for citizens. He further emphasised that drainage and road infrastructure remain a major priority, particularly as communities continue to call for improved road networks. “When we talk about what a community should look like, we will see enhanced social services and modern economic and social services to provide access to our citizens, I know many of our communities have been asking for enhanced roads. We have already started it. Every community can see the benefit of a proper road network,” he noted.
In addition to green spaces, the Minister said community designs will also incorporate investments to support commercial activities, along with the enhancement of markets through the Ministry of Local Government. “So, in addition to green space, we will also have, as part of our design, investment for commercial activities, as well as enhancement of markets,” he said.
He underscored that these initiatives are aimed at improving the quality of life for residents across all communities.
“We are looking forward to ensuring a better quality of life for persons living in our housing schemes, in older areas, and in the communities to come,” he said.
He assured that these plans will form part of the Government’s mandate moving forward, noting that infrastructure development under the Ministry of Housing will continue to play a central role.
“Infrastructure under the Ministry of Housing will continue to play a great role,” he added, referring specifically to community infrastructure in areas where housing allocations have already been made.