The Ministry of Housing, Land, and Urban Development has announced that applications for the first housing scheme under the government’s “Housing for All” policy will open this coming Sunday. Although the Ministry had initially scheduled the opening for today, the date was moved to Sunday, January 18, 2026, at 09:00 AM. This adjustment was made to ensure the public receives adequate information and to avoid potential administrative challenges associated with launching such a high-demand portal over the weekend.
The “Housing for All” policy was first introduced on November 16 last year, outlining the regulations for the distribution of land and flats. Under this initiative, the government aims to allocate 15,000 land plots from the Greater Male’ Area, including Rasmale’, and provide 7,900 flats within the Male’ region.
The application window, originally set for January 4 and later rescheduled to January 15, was further extended to incorporate revisions based on public feedback received during President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s community meetings. Significant amendments have been made to the criteria to better address public concerns. Notably, individuals previously allocated one or two-bedroom flats under earlier schemes may now apply for three-bedroom flats, subject to specific conditions related to family size.
The flat allocations are categorized as follows:
- 4,000 flats for registered residents of Male’.
- 1,500 flats for residents from other islands living in Male’.
- 2,400 flats for special priority categories.
Regarding land plots:
- 10,000 plots for registered residents of Male’.
- 3,000 plots for residents from other islands living in Male’.
- 500 plots for individuals with disabilities.
- 1,500 plots dedicated to those relocating from narrow alleys or through land-swap arrangements.
For the first time, this scheme includes dedicated categories for taxi drivers and professionals working in the fishing and tourism industries. The Ministry urges applicants to apply under the category that best reflects their current circumstances. All applications must be submitted online via the “Hiyaavehi Portal.”
To address previous difficulties in proving residency, the current regulations stipulate that applicants must have resided in Male’ for at least 15 years as of January 14, 2026. Any breaks in residency due to exceptional circumstances must be documented and explained.
Priority will be given based on income levels and living conditions. Applicants are required to provide personal details, family information, employment and income data, and supporting documents to verify their duration of residency in Male’. Detailed criteria and marking schemes have been published in the Government Gazette. The deadline for applications is April 14.
