Sharjah to get new housing watchdog

New housing department is to unify all public home-building projects in the emirate under one roof.

SHARJAH // A new housing department will unify all public home-building projects in the emirate under one roof after being endorsed by the Consultative Council.

Council members voted unanimously last week to set up the department as an overseer for all local and Federal housing projects in the emirate. The idea of forming such an entity was first raised last year.

"We welcome the Department of Housing among the family of local departments of Sharjah," said Dr Obaid Seif al Hajri, the speaker of the council. "This has always been the procedure for all other Sharjah departments, like the Municipality and the Department of Public Works."

The department will work with Federal housing authorities in much the same way other government entities at emirate level co-operate with the relevant Federal ministries. Most public housing issues in the emirate were previously handled by the UAE Department of Works. Draft laws and policies regarding the department must be approved by Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed, the Ruler of Sharjah, before they can be implemented.

The council discussed the objectives for the organisation, including attaining a decent standard of housing for every resident and giving priority to widows and divorced women with families. Issues including working with other entities to identify public housing that needs renovation, demolitions and electricity and water shortages were also talked through.

The heads of the department's various units will report to the council once a year, as do the emirate's other government entities. Khalifah Misbah al Tunaiji, the housing authority's director general, expressed gratitude to the council for the way it handled the discussions, unanimously approving some drafts while advising on others.

"I am honoured to be among you and promise would have the good discussion of this council in all my work," he said. "This session has showed me how working together with you can move us forward while serving our people."

Those Emiratis who needed public housing in the past had to submit their supporting documents to Federal authorities. Once reviewed, the government allocated dwellings according to their list of priorities and the number of available home.

Those receiving assistance have their names published in local Arabic papers and printed on notice boards, while the rest would go on a waiting list.

The process in Sharjah will change under the new housing department, which will handle all applications at a local level and will make rulings on who is awarded housing.

Many Emiratis said they welcomed the new agency, saying it would help streamline housing procurement.

"The department handling only housing would be more committed to housing projects than those that had a lot of other projects to handle," said Saeed al Serkal, 20.

In Ajman, 167 villas have been completed and are awaiting distribution, which will begin early next month, said Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid al Nuaimi, the Ajman Municipality chairman.

He said there were 60 villas donated by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai; 45 donated by Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid al Nuaimi, the Ruler of Ajman; and 62 constructed by the Humaid bin Rashid al Nuaimi Foundation.

He said that priority would be given to widows, divorcees, single women and poor families.

He also announced that construction would start this year on 400 public-housing villas in the Al Helio area.