Buying abandoned homes, acquiring unused properties and building upwards are among proposals put forward to ease the social housing shortage in the Capital Governorate, as soaring demand for apartments points to a changing attitude towards high-density living.
For years, apartments were generally not the preferred housing option for Bahraini families, who traditionally sought independent homes with more space and privacy.
But demand has now jumped 105 per cent, according to figures highlighted in an earlier housing report, suggesting that apartments are increasingly being viewed as a practical choice.
The issue took centre stage at an open majlis held by the Capital Trustees Board that brought together MPs, community leaders, residents and senior representatives from the Housing and Urban Planning Ministry.
For some families, the wait for a government home has stretched for almost two decades, while others face the difficult choice between remaining in their traditional neighbourhoods and accepting housing elsewhere in the kingdom.
Parliament’s public utilities and environment affairs committee vice-chairman MP Mohammed Janahi said the changing demand for apartments should encourage authorities to consider new housing models in the Capital.
“The fact that more Bahrainis are now willing to consider apartments gives us another option, particularly in areas where land is extremely limited,” Mr Janahi said.
He called on the government to examine the possibility of purchasing suitable abandoned or unused properties and converting them into social housing, while also exploring opportunities for multi-storey developments where planning conditions allow.
“If there are old properties that can be acquired and redeveloped, why should they remain unused when families are waiting for homes?” he said.
Another option, he added, would be to identify government-owned or underused sites that could accommodate multi-storey housing developments, creating more homes without requiring large expanses of new land.
The government is already pursuing major housing developments outside traditional urban areas.
The East Sitra Housing City is being developed in phases and is designed to provide more than 3,000 housing units, together with infrastructure and community facilities. Its third phase comprises 1,269 homes, forming part of a wider effort to expand the national housing supply.
The ministry has also been redeveloping older housing stock, including ageing apartment buildings in Isa Town, Umm Al Hassam and Sanabis, replacing outdated structures with new housing as part of efforts to increase supply in established communities.
Mr Janahi said such redevelopment offered an important lesson for the Capital.
“We cannot solve the housing challenge simply by looking for empty land. We should also look at what is already there – old buildings, unused properties and opportunities to rebuild more efficiently,” he said.
Capital Trustees Board chairman Saleh Tarradah said the housing issue had become an increasingly important concern for residents across the governorate.
“The Capital has a unique character and a large number of families have strong connections to their neighbourhoods. We need solutions that respond to their housing needs while taking into account the realities of land availability,” he said.
Mr Tarradah said the open majlis had provided an opportunity for residents to put forward practical ideas directly to officials.
Board vice-chairwoman Dr Khoolood Al Qattan said residents had expressed different preferences during the majlis, with some willing to accept housing anywhere in Bahrain while others wanted to remain close to their families and established communities.
“For many people, a home is not simply a building. It is being close to parents, siblings, relatives, schools and the community they know,” she said.
Dr Al Qattan said the government could pursue different options simultaneously rather than rely on a single model.
“There is room for new housing developments, redevelopment of older properties, better use of available land and higher-density projects where appropriate,” she said.
“For families who have spent years on housing waiting lists, the discussion is ultimately about more than numbers.
“Some are now prepared to accept an apartment or a home wherever one becomes available. Others remain determined to stay close to the neighbourhoods where generations of their families have lived.”
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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