Construction work on a number of housing units planned for the Greater Malé Region is set to begin this month, according to the Ministry of Construction, Housing, and Infrastructure.

The Ministry said the current Administration is overseeing the largest number of housing projects ever undertaken in the Maldives, both in the Greater Malé Region and across the atolls. Speaking on State Media, State Minister for  Uz Ahmed Nazim Mohamed confirmed that work on the 7,900 housing units announced for the Greater Malé Region will commence within the month.

State Minister Nazim stated that the projects are part of the Government’s Housing for All policy and represent the largest single housing initiative to be implemented in the Malé region. In addition to flats, the programme also includes the allocation of 15,000 land plots, which the Minister described as the largest land leasing project undertaken in the country.

Under the Housing for All policy, applications for flats and land plots will open on 15 January and remain open until 14 April. Flats for Malé City residents will be issued under two models: the Affordable Home Ownership Model and the Rent-to-Own Model. Eligibility criteria require Malé City residents to be at least 18 years old and to have resided in the city for a minimum of one year as of 14 January 2026. Residents of other islands living in Malé City must have resided in the city for at least 15 years by the same date.

The policy also stipulates that applicants must not own more than 400 square feet of land or housing registered in their own name or their spouse’s name anywhere in the country. Priority categories include, among others, single mothers and single fathers with children under the age of 18.

Highlighting progress on housing projects outside the capital, Nazim said that approximately 6,780 housing units nationwide have already been handed over to contractors, with construction underway on several sites. He added that the Ministry is also in the process of handing over completed housing units in various islands, including Nolhivaranfaru, Thimarafushi and Kolhufushi, where renovation works are being carried out on units completed earlier.

The Ministry is currently evaluating applications for 200 housing units developed in Thinadhoo, while applications have also been opened for 100 housing units in Vilufushi and Thulhadhoo. According to the Ministry of Housing, the Government aims to complete a number of housing projects during the current presidential term as part of efforts to address the country’s long-standing housing shortage.