Minister of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure Dr Abdulla Muththalib has reaffirmed the Government’s vision under its “Housing for All” policy to make homeownership more accessible to first-time buyers.

In a LinkedIn post following the Government’s publication of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the development of 1,000 Affordable Home Ownership Units in Hulhumalé Phase III, the Minister outlined the objectives of the initiative.

He stated that the primary goal of the programme is to provide safe and affordable housing opportunities for new homeowners. The scheme is also designed to ease pressure on the housing market at a time when land prices and rental rates in the Greater Malé area remain high.

Under the project, price caps have been introduced. Two-bedroom apartments will be sold at no more than MVR 1.8 million, while three-bedroom units will be priced at no more than MVR 2.3 million, figures significantly lower than prevailing market rates in the region.

Dr Muththalib noted that the majority of the planned units will consist of three-bedroom apartments, reflecting what he described as a family-focused housing model prioritised by the Government.

In his post, the Minister also reflected on previous housing approaches, which centred on social housing construction through loan schemes and real estate developments facilitated through Housing Development Corporation, where a portion of units were sold at controlled prices.

He observed that these models often resulted in purchases driven by asset acquisition rather than first-home ownership. In contrast, he stated that the “Housing for All” initiative is deliberately structured to prioritise accessibility for first-time homebuyers.