Iran's Minister of Roads Promises to Build 100,000 Homes Annually for Low-Income Groups

The Minister of Roads and Urban Development of the Islamic Republic of Iran announced the construction of 100,000 housing units for low-income groups in collaboration with the Housing Foundation by the end of this year. Abbas Akhoundi, in an interview with the House of the Nation news agency published on Tuesday, September 5, stated, "We plan to build 100,000 housing units annually under this scheme, and this year we will operationalize the construction of the first 100,000 units for low-income groups." His remarks come at a time when the Mehr Housing project is currently underway in Iran. On September 3, Akhoundi also told the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development news site that "providing housing for low-income groups is the government's top priority." The Minister added: "Providing the necessary housing for low-income groups, first-time homebuyers, addressing the housing needs of residents in dilapidated urban areas, and informal settlers are among the government's most important programs in the housing demand sector." Akhoundi pointed out the need for housing for the "11 million" informal settlers and added: "Another area is the dilapidated urban areas, which also house about eight million people. First-time homebuyers are also a group that is buying a home for the first time." This population of 19 million, according to the Minister of Roads and Urban Development, "lives in 2,700 neighborhoods" across Iran. Previously, the head of the Welfare Organization had announced in July that all households with two disabled members would have homes by the end of the year 97 (2018). According to ISNA news agency, Anoushiravan Mohseni Bandpay mentioned that there are 11,000 households in the country with two disabled members, stating: "43,000 homes for the disabled are under construction." In another part of his conversation with the House of the Nation website, Akhoundi referred to the Mehr Housing project, which began its execution during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency, discussing the failure of this project's objectives and adding that the Mehr Housing was supposed to provide housing for low-income groups, but in practice, "people who did not qualify registered for this scheme." The Minister of Roads and Urban Development did not specify the identities of these individuals. The Mehr Housing project, one of the largest housing projects in Iran in recent decades, was initiated by Ahmadinejad's government. The former president stated in 2011 that with the implementation of the Mehr Housing project, the housing problem in Iran would be eradicated by the end of his presidency. However, many officials in Hassan Rouhani's government have rejected this claim, criticizing the Mehr Housing project by stating: "Many of the housing complexes in the Mehr Housing project lack water and sewage treatment systems" and have been built in areas that "lack infrastructure facilities." Nevertheless, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, stated in September 2014 during a meeting with Rouhani's government that "millions are waiting for the completion of the Mehr Housing project, and this work must be pursued seriously and completed." Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, also stated in April 2016 that despite all the problems, the government would complete and deliver the Mehr Housing project. The head of the Parliament's Civil Commission announced on July 9 of this year that the government does not have the funds to complete the Mehr Housing project, stating that this project will not be completed in the twelfth government either. According to Tasnim news agency, Mohammadreza Rezaei-Kouchi criticized the unfinished state of the Mehr Housing project during the eleventh government, adding: "At a time when the Mehr Housing project remains incomplete, the discussion of social housing needs more expert work." According to him, based on a parliamentary resolution, 200,000 homes must be built annually for the vulnerable segments of society.