With the aim of bringing to a close the protracted and controversial Mehr Housing Project by the end of the current Iranian year (March 20, 2018), a considerable number of unwanted residential units will be used for charitable and social purposes, the deputy roads minister responsible for managing the scheme announced.
“It has been decreed that Mehr residential units facing legal problems or whose physical progress is below 30% would be set aside,” Hamid Reza Azimian was also quoted as saying by Tasnim News Agency.
Azimian heads the National Land and Housing Organization of Iran that oversees Mehr Housing Project’s units located in cities with a population of more than 25,000 people.
President Hassan Rouhani has called for wrapping up the costly housing project initiated by the previous administration by March 2018.
According to Azimian, NLHOI, as the official entity in charge of Mehr residential units, should complete 1,202,947 or 82% of all the units.
Referring to the allocation of 7 trillion rials ($179.9 million) by the government, which is to be spent on the infrastructure of residential units, the official said his organization’s share has been 4 trillion rials ($102 million).
Azimian said 54,613 units are ready for delivery while 85,368 units are problematic, 56,315 of which are currently without applicants.
Furthermore, 19,026 units with applicants have had a progress of under 30% and 10,027 units are facing legal problems.
“We are negotiating with the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee and the Housing Foundation of Islamic Revolution, and are ready to hand over these units to them as part of bilateral agreements to implement the Social Housing Plan,” the official concluded.
The Social Housing Plan refers to a government scheme to provide homes to low-income families by building thousands of residential units each year. The scheme is to replace the Mehr project as the signature housing policy of the incumbent administration.
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