Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure has launched the construction of 50 rowhouses in Villingili, Gaafu Alifu Atoll. The foundation of the rowhouses was laid by Minister of State for National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure Akram Kamaluddin at a ceremony held at Villingili.
Speaking at the ceremony, State Minister Akram said that Villingili has a relatively large population and a strong economy. As such, he said that residents from other islands have moved to Vilingili for various purposes over the years.
Additionally, Akram said that solving the housing crisis is one of the most important pledges of the government. He said that the government has so far provided more than USD800,000 to Gaafu Alifu Atoll under the Gedhoruveriya Loan for those interested in building or renovating their houses. He also said that President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih decided to develop 50 more housing units on the island at the request of the residents of Villingili.
Meanwhile, Parliamentarian Saud Hussain said that the project will become a hub of structural development in Villingili. He said that the project includes the establishment of public services for the area where the housing units will be built. He said a park will be constructed to provide a comfortable environment for families moving into the housing units in addition to allocating a parking area and installing light posts.
The rowhouse development project in Villingili was contracted to Donbez Private Limited in June 2022. The project was contracted on a design-and-build basis. Each rowhouse is to be developed in an area of 700sqft. The two-storey rowhouses are to be built with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a sitting room, kitchen, dining room, balcony, laundry area, and a storeroom.
The project was contracted to Donbez at a price of USD3.1 million, to be completed within nine months. The project is conducted under the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP).