Minister of Housing, Construction and Infrastructure Dr Abdulla Muththalib has stated that public housing policies must focus on stabilising households rather than enabling the accumulation of assets, as he clarified eligibility criteria under the Government’s Aailee Boahiyaavahikan (Family Housing) Programme.

In a LinkedIn post addressing public concerns over the programme, the Minister explained that its core objective is to ensure that families with no home or land receive priority assistance. He stressed that public housing is intended to provide a basic foundation for dignity and stability, forming the basis for education, health, employment and social cohesion, rather than serving as an asset-building mechanism.

Dr Muththalib said the programme prioritises families with zero access to housing or land because they face the highest level of vulnerability, with no fallback options or long-term security. He noted that families with some form of housing access, even if limited or shared, are in a fundamentally different position when resources are constrained.

Clarifying why eligibility is assessed at the household level, the Minister said housing demand arises from households rather than individuals, as families share space, income and responsibilities. Allocating an additional publicly funded unit to a household that already has housing access, before another family receives its first, would deepen inequality rather than reduce it, he said.

Addressing common questions raised by the public, Dr Muththalib said the policy accounts for complexity through specific thresholds and conditions. Families with children under the age of 18 may still apply even if they live in one-room or two-room apartments, while land size limits are used to distinguish between minimal access and substantial ownership. He emphasised that clear and enforceable criteria are necessary to maintain fairness and transparency.

The Minister also stressed that the current eligibility rules are not permanent. He said they are required while housing supply continues to catch up with demand, and that the policy will evolve as the Government delivers more social housing units, land plots, affordable ownership schemes and private-sector housing. Once every family has access to at least one home or land plot, eligibility guidelines will be relaxed and opportunities expanded.

Dr Muththalib said the Aailee Boahiyaavahikan Programme reflects the reality that housing insecurity affects entire families, including children, elderly parents and dependents. He reiterated that the guiding principle of the programme is to ensure no family is left without a first home, stating that public housing must first give families “somewhere to stand” before wider opportunities can be extended.