- Title: Oil-rich Kuwait working to resolve citizens' housing crisis
- Date: 28th May 2017
- Summary: KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT (RECENT) (REUTERS) A SIGN AT THE ENTRANCE OF JABER AL-AHMAD RESIDENTIAL CITY VARIOUS VIEWS OF NEW HOUSES IN JABER AL AHMAD CITY ENTRANCE OF THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR HOUSING WELFARE VARIOUS OF SPOKESMAN FOR PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR HOUSING WELFARE, IBRAHIM AL-NASHI, IN HIS OFFICE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SPOKESMAN FOR PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR HOUSING WELFARE, IBRAHIM AL-NASHI, SAYING: "The problem is not in the number of applications submitted to the authority, but it is in the waiting time. The shorter the waiting time, the more successful a citizen is in owning a house." VARIOUS OF SMALL SCALE MODEL OF NEW HOUSING PROJECTS IN THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR HOUSING WELFARE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SPOKESMAN FOR PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR HOUSING WELFARE, IBRAHIM AL-NASHI, SAYING: "The number of applications is growing due to the increase in population, but the goal is to reduce the waiting times. Our success as an institution has been in reducing the waiting times for the projects and this has been reflected in our current projects. For example, applicants for housing in the South Mutlaa project are the ones who submitted their applications in 2013. This means we have cut the waiting time to four years to get the housing to citizens." PICK UP TRUCK ALONG CONSTRUCTION SITE ROAD CONSTRUCTION WORKERS ADDING METAL POLES ONTO BUILDING CONSTRUCTION WORKERS ADDING SQUARE MATERIALS ONTO BUILDING CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WALKING AROUND METAL POLES ON BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SPOKESMAN FOR NATER BEIT (ARABIC FOR 'WAITING FOR A HOUSE') CAMPAIGN, MESHAAL AL-MUTAIRI, SAYING: "The Nater Beit campaign is a lobbying group that is concerned with resolving the housing issue in Kuwait. We started about six years ago, in late 2011. We started to form this lobbying group after Kuwaiti streets were preoccupied with various issues, aside from housing. Thank God, we were able to highlight the problem." NEW BUILD HOUSE ACROSS FROM BUILDING SITE CONSTRUCTION WORKER HITTING METAL POLE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WORKING ON BUILDING METAL POLES LAID DOWN ON CONSTRUCTION SITE VARIOUS OF NEW BUILDINGS UNDER CONSTRUCTION WITH METAL POLES STILL SHOWING ON EACH BUILDING
- Embargoed: 11th June 2017 11:54
- Keywords: government incentives building housing Kuwait
- Location: KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT
- City: KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT
- Country: Kuwait
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Living / Lifestyle,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA0016IR4J11
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Kuwait is one of the world's richest countries per capita, but despite the country's wealth, in recent years it has struggled to provide government-funded housing for its citizens.
Accustomed to a welfare state which is generous by international comparisons, Kuwaitis say they may have to wait years on the housing list.
Now a number of construction projects are in place to deal with the rising demand of those in need of government subsidised housing.
Ibrahim al-Nashi, spokesman for the Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW), says owning a house is a waiting game.
"The problem is not in the number of applications submitted to the authority, but it is in the waiting time. The shorter the waiting time, the more successful a citizen is in owning a house,'' he said.
Al-Nashi adds that his department is working quickly in their building projects to get more people into homes.
"The number of applications is growing due to the increase in population, but the goal is to reduce the waiting times. Our success as an institution has been in reducing the waiting times for the projects and this has been reflected in our current projects. For example, applicants for housing in the South Mutlaa project are the ones who submitted their applications in 2013. This means we have cut the waiting time to four years to get the housing to citizens,'' he added.
As part of an extensive national welfare programme, Kuwaiti men can apply for government housing after marriage, receiving loans that are paid off slowly.
But the waiting list for subsidised housing has been growing, and the numbers are expected to rise even further especially in a country where more than half of the 1.2 million nationals are under 25.
As well as construction work in Kuwait City, more homes are also being built outside the capital, with the aim of building 'cities' with schools, supermarkets, banks and other amenities that will also boost local employment opportunities.
Some Kuwaiti families are willing to wait longer to have access to housing in the capital, in order to be close to family and places of work.
Campaigning for more housing has been at the heart of Meshaal al-Mutairi's work.
As spokesman for Nater Beit (Arabic for 'Waiting For A House') Campaign, his group began putting pressure on parliament years ago and as a result of support on social media, the group was able to take part in some parliamentary sessions on the issue.
"The Nater Beit campaign is a lobbying group that is concerned with resolving the housing issue in Kuwait. We started about six years ago, in late 2011. We started to form this lobbying group after Kuwaiti streets were preoccupied with various issues, aside from housing. Thank God, we were able to highlight the problem," said al-Mutairi.
With the rapid construction of building projects, the Kuwaiti government has managed to reduce the number of applications to about 90,000 currently from about 110,000 in 2013. It is now seeking to distribute 12,000 housing units annually in the coming years.
According to local media reports the PAHW's multi-million dollar housing projects will be completed by 2019. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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