Saudi Arabia’s ministry of housing will prioritise allotment of residential units to citizens who can pay rent, while a separate governmental committee looks into the cases of those who are unable to afford leasing their homes, according to a report in the kingdom’s press.
A source at the ministry, quoted by the Saudi Gazette daily, said the ministry cannot take care of applicants who cannot afford to pay rent, even though it is the ministry’s responsibility to find housing for all citizens. Neither can the ministry cater for those who are imprisoned, too ill to maintain their residence or are terminally ill, the source added.
“The Council of Ministers has formed a committee to look into cases of citizens failing to pay their rent and meeting the conditions of lease. The committee will be put into effect within 30 days. It will take on the responsibility of aiding citizens who are unable to pay rent,” the report quoted the source as saying.
The purpose of forming the committee was to relieve the ministry of the burden of meeting housing requirements of citizens who are unable to pay, the source added.
The committee consists of representatives from the kingdom’s ministries of justice and housing and a representative from the Al-Birr Charity or any charity that supports the housing cause. It will also have a member from the General Organisation for Social Insurance, who will represent the ministry of labour and social development on the committee.
“The ministry (of housing) should not be concerned about the status of the applicants for residence. Its job is to simply provide residences for every citizen. The committee will be responsible for providing aid through various aid programmes of the private and public sectors,” the source added.
The report quoted the source as saying that the ministry is also responsible for providing homes in a timely manner for those who were evacuated from their previous residences. The ministry will report back to the Council of Ministers in two years’ time on the effectiveness of the decision, the report added.