Jordan Times
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
King launches nationwide
housing project for the poor
By Mohammad Ghazal
MAFRAQ — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday
laid the foundation stone for a housing project in Mafraq Governorate, the first
phase of a nationwide scheme to provide underprivileged families in the Kingdom
with homes.
Under the first phase of the project, 600 housing units estimated at JD5 million
will be constructed in underprivileged areas in all the governorates except the
capital and Zarqa, which will benefit from other projects in the future.
The houses, which will be distributed at no charge to the beneficiaries, fall
under a Royal Makruma.
In Mafraq, where five of the Kingdom's 20 poverty pockets are located, a total
of 42 70-square-metre housing units will be built. Each unit consists of two
bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, a living room and a veranda. The fenced housing
units will be fully equipped with basic infrastructure such as water and
electricity.
To speed up implementation of the first phase, the Monarch has allocated
JD500,000 to be presented to the governorate that finishes the construction of
the housing units first and rationalises the utilisation of funds.
The second phase of the project, which will provide housing for poor families in
the Kingdom's other poverty pockets, is scheduled to start at the beginning of
2006, the King announced yesterday.
The Monarch, who called for formulating a plan to determine families in need of
housing in all the governorates, ordered the formation of a committee chaired by
the Royal Court chief and the concerned ministries to set mechanisms to
implement the initiative next year.
The project, which is supervised by the Royal Court, will be implemented by the
Ministry of Public Works and Housing in cooperation with the ministries of
planning and international cooperation, and interior and the Kingdom's
governorates.
“The scheme will help many poor families in the governorate,” Mafraq Governor
Mahmoud Nuaimat said, commending the project.
“The average poverty rate in the governorate of 270,000 inhabitants, stands at
14 per cent,” the governor told The Jordan Times.
He said a study was conducted to determine those in need of housing.
“This project, which is a gift from the King, is designed to provide the
impoverished citizens, who live in tents and shacks, with homes,” said Shadeh
Abu Hdeib, director of the Housing and Urban Development Corporation.
“It will make underprivileged citizens feel more secure, comfortable and
stable,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, King Abdullah met with US Senator Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska) on
Tuesday. Talks focused on the Middle East peace process and the situation in
Iraq. Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit and Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah Khatib also
attended the meeting.