A renewed call has been made to revive a key national housing initiative aimed at supporting low-income families living in unsafe and decaying homes.
The Southern Municipal Council unanimously approved a proposal by its technical committee chairman and sixth constituency councillor Ahmed Al Abdulla to relaunch the long-stalled Dilapidated Homes Project, in co-ordination with the Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Ministry, the Capital Trustees Board and municipal councils across the country.
Mr Al Abdulla said the aim of the proposal was to “breathe new life” into an important national project that had once provided safe and adequate housing for limited-income citizens.
“This is not just about repairing houses, but about restoring dignity and security to families in dire need,” he said.
“The project is vital to raising the quality of housing for all citizens in Bahrain, especially the vulnerable groups it was originally designed to serve.”
The Dilapidated Homes Project was launched in 2008 under the supervision of the Municipalities Affairs Ministry in collaboration with the municipal councils.
In 2012, responsibility shifted to the Housing Ministry, but the initiative has been effectively halted since then.
Mr Al Abdulla
Mr Al Abdulla recalled that in 2017, the Housing Ministry introduced a new approach requiring citizens to apply for loans to cover reconstruction or renovation costs. However, he argued that this system left many disadvantaged families behind.
“The minimum loan available was BD20,000, which is simply not enough to demolish and rebuild a home,” he said.
“Realistically, at least BD30,000 is needed to cover such costs. On top of that, requiring families to repay these loans has only added to their cost of living burden.”
He noted that many beneficiaries are widows, divorcees, elderly citizens, orphans and families dependent on social welfare support – groups that the project was originally created to protect.
“These citizens cannot shoulder the responsibility of demolition, rebuilding and loan repayments on their own,” said Mr Al Abdulla.
“Many of them also lack relatives capable of supervising construction, leaving them trapped in unsafe housing conditions.”
The councillor stressed that numerous homes across areas such as Isa Town, Riffa and Buhair – many built more than 50 years ago – are now dangerously unstable and continue to house low-income families.
He added that citizens still on waiting lists view the new loan-based system as unfair, since earlier beneficiaries received full support without financial obligations.
“It is not just a matter of fairness, but of urgent necessity,” said Mr Al Abdulla.
“We are talking about homes that are literally at risk of collapse, putting lives in danger.”
The councillor emphasised that reviving the Dilapidated Homes Project is critical for sustainable urban development in Bahrain, pointing out that halting it had caused “serious harm” to citizens most in need.
“Citizens have been persistent in their demands for a permanent solution. They look at past beneficiaries as a precedent that must be followed,” he said.
“This project must return under the direct supervision of municipal councils, with updated mechanisms that serve the original purpose – to provide safe, dignified housing for the most vulnerable.
“If reactivated, the project would once again represent a cornerstone of Bahrain’s social housing policy, ensuring that vulnerable families are not left behind in the nation’s broader urban development drive.”
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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