Fatima Zahra Mansouri, the Minister of National Territory Planning, Urbanism, Housing, and City Policy, outlined plans for 2025 to continue supporting citizens’ access to housing. The minister emphasized that the government would continue improving the efficiency of housing support programs and enhance communication with citizens through the organization of regional housing exhibitions.
During a session discussing her ministry’s 2025 budget, Mansouri stated that efforts would focus on expanding services for citizens, including establishing units to track requests and inquiries, improving the online platform for better user experience, and facilitating communication with stakeholders, such as real estate developers and notaries, to boost collaboration and achieve the program’s goals.
Achievements of the Housing Support Program
Mansouri also provided an update on the direct housing support program, highlighting its success. As of November 5, 2024, the program had processed 113,081 housing support requests, benefiting 28,458 applicants. Notably, 26% of beneficiaries are from the Moroccan diaspora, while 37% are young people under the age of 35. The total value of the purchased homes reached 11.4 billion dirhams, with the state contributing 2.3 billion dirhams, covering 20% of the total cost.
Mansouri pointed out that in just one year, the housing program had generated 57,000 new jobs in the construction and public works sectors, compared to the third quarter of 2023. Other indicators also showed positive trends, including a 14% increase in licensed projects, an 8.24% rise in cement sales, and a 12.1% increase in real estate transactions. Housing loans grew by 1.49% from August 2023 to August 2024, and loans to real estate developers rose by 5.57% over the same period. Mansouri described these developments as clear indicators of the program’s success.
Tackling Informal Housing and Slums
The minister also provided an update on Morocco’s efforts to address informal housing, particularly the country’s slums. By the end of September 2024, 470,530 families were identified as living in substandard housing. Out of these, 353,234 families have already been addressed, leaving 117,296 families still awaiting assistance. Of these, 83,948 families are expected to benefit from ready or ongoing housing units, while 31,348 families are not yet included in the “Cities Without Slums” program.
Mansouri emphasized the use of the National Population Register to prevent fraud and multiple applications for housing support. She mentioned that 11,918 families were found to be unprogrammed in cities not included in the Cities Without Slums initiative. Additionally, the number of unprogrammed families had been raised to 58,000 after considering potential updates to the data.
Addressing the Challenges of Slum Eradication
While acknowledging the challenges of completely eradicating informal housing, Mansouri highlighted progress in improving living conditions for slum dwellers. Between January and September 2024, the government succeeded in improving conditions for 7,685 families. The minister also announced the signing of four new agreements in cities like Marrakech, Casablanca, and Smara, aimed at improving the housing situation for 67 families living in slums. These agreements total 16.086 billion dirhams, of which 2.734 billion dirhams are financial support from her ministry.
Furthermore, ongoing projects under the “Cities Without Slums” program are progressing at a faster pace. In comparison with the period between 2018 and 2021, the annual rate of improved living conditions has increased by 163%, from 6,200 families per year to 16,300 families under the current government. Mansouri stated that the growth of informal housing has slowed significantly, with an annual increase of only 6,800 families during the current term, down from 10,400 families per year between 2012 and 2021, marking a 35% decrease.
Looking ahead, the government is focusing on a five-year plan for 2024-2028, targeting the eradication of the remaining 120,000 families in slums. A large portion of this effort will be concentrated in Greater Casablanca, where 62,000 families are set to benefit from an agreement signed in July 2024.
Fatima Zahra Mansouri concluded by reaffirming the government’s commitment to resolving housing issues, particularly for disadvantaged and vulnerable families. Despite the challenges, the overall progress and the government’s ongoing efforts were highlighted as signs of success for the housing support programs. These initiatives, she stated, are designed to tackle the country’s housing crisis while ensuring sustainable and inclusive urban development.
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