President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has decided to build an additional 1,000 housing units in Kulhudhuffushi City.
The development of 400 housing units is currently ongoing in Kulhudhuffushi. The government initially planned to develop 224 units but increased the scope to 400 units following a request from the council.
Speaking to PSM News, the Mayor of Kulhudhuffushi City Mohamed Athif said the project is still not enough to solve the housing issue. As such, he said that President Solih has recently approved the council's request to build 1,000 more housing units. He expressed confidence that a contractor would be chosen for the project in September, highlighting that building 1,400 housing units would solve the housing issue.
The Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure contracted the project to develop 400 housing units in Kulhudhuffushi in 2022. The project was contracted to the joint venture of Donbez Private Limited and the 23rd Metallurgical Construction Group Co. Limited. The joint venture is tasked with completing the project within 540 days at a price of USD29 million.
The foundation work for the project began in May this year. The project involves the construction of five apartment buildings with 400 housing units measuring 1,000sqft each. Each housing unit will consist of three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and one sitting room. The units will also have a kitchen, laundry room, and storeroom. The ground floor of the buildings will be dedicated to businesses while the surrounding area will be developed with a courtyard and parking area.
Kulhudhuffushi is the most populous island in the northern region with a population of over 9,000 residents. The city has an extreme housing problem with more than 1,200 residents in need of residential housing, and many families have to live under one roof.