Between the absence of land distribution and the corruption of residential complexes... where is the

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[size=52]Between the absence of land distribution and the corruption of residential complexes... where is the citizen's right to housing?[/size]

[size=45]In the 1970s, the Iraqi government distributed land areas to citizens through professional unions and popular organizations, which raised the levels of housing production for the period 1975-1985 (according to the Ministry of Planning) to about 50 thousand housing units annually, with a growth rate exceeding by 7.0 percent the annual rate of growth of the Iraqi population.[/size]
[size=45]Now, the housing crisis has become intractable, as Iraq suffers from a severe shortage of housing units with the high cost of living that the country is witnessing, as many citizens have been forced to live in rentals amidst the difficulty of buying a home. With the crisis that exploded during the past years due to the huge number of Iraqi residents and their increase year after year, the price of one square meter of housing in popular areas has reached three thousand US dollars despite the lack of some basic services.[/size]
[size=45]52 residential cities[/size]
[size=45]Iraq needs to build 3 to 3.5 million housing units to reduce the chronic crisis in this sector. In an attempt to narrow the gap, the government has begun building 52 residential cities in the central and southern governorates, in addition to housing complexes and various loans for building, renovating and purchasing housing units, in solutions described as “radical” to solve the dilemma that is troubling millions in the country.[/size]
[size=45]The population of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, has doubled to exceed 9 million people according to official statistics linked to the ration card, which has caused real estate prices to rise many times over due to the increased demand for housing and apartments.[/size]
[size=45]In light of these conditions, the idea of ​​vertical residential complexes emerged, which many bet on to solve the housing crisis in the capital, but it created other crises that directly harmed the environmental situation and the appearance of the capital.[/size]
[size=45]“It is good to see investments in the housing sector, but at the same time other problems have come to the fore as a result of the absence of a mechanism through which the complexes can be controlled by returning to the Investment Authority,” says human rights activist Nakhtal Abdul Hassan.[/size]
[size=45]Abdul Hassan added, “Baghdad includes more than 46 city projects and residential complexes, including the Iraq Gate, Zahraa Al-Saydiya Complex, Al-Naseem, and other companies.”[/size]
[size=45]He believes that there are many challenges facing the investment law, which provides facilities for investors by providing land by the state, in addition to granting tax and customs exemptions and other facilities.[/size]
[size=45]He explained that all these facilities and steps did not achieve their desired goal, and he provided evidence of this by the existence of randomness in the distribution of these projects and the high prices of apartments.[/size]
[size=45]Abdul Hassan stressed that “the main problem lies in the influence of parties and politicians through creating networks to facilitate transactions for some projects and not others, which is a negative thing that has led to investors fearing working inside Iraq.”[/size]
[size=45]Random[/size]
[size=45]Thousands of slum and encroachment residents are waiting for the House of Representatives to approve the slum bill to reduce the problem that is worsening with the rise in real estate prices.[/size]
[size=45]In a press statement, the media spokesman for the Ministry of Construction and Housing, Istibraq Sabah, explained that “there is a law currently being discussed to solve the problem of slums, as it seeks to address those who encroach on residential use within the boundaries of the basic design.”[/size]
[size=45]He explained that “there are more than 1,552 informal housing complexes inhabited by 3.5-4 million citizens, living in 346,881 thousand homes, with a percentage exceeding 98 percent on government property and 2 percent on private property.”[/size]
[size=45]Sabah added that “the law is supposed to solve these problems, in addition to phases of low-cost housing operations, vertical and horizontal complexes, and new residential cities.”[/size]
[size=45]Meanwhile, Suhaila Al-Saadi, a member of the Parliamentary Services and Reconstruction Committee, confirmed earlier that the legislation of the slums law will solve the housing problem in Iraq, noting that the slums will be owned by their residents in exchange for a small cash fee.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Saadi said, “The slums law is one of the important draft laws that have been suspended throughout the previous sessions.”[/size]
[size=45]She added that "Parliament is waiting for the law to arrive from the government in order to vote on it in the House of Representatives, noting that approximately 5 million Iraqis live in slums spread throughout the country."[/size]
[size=45]She added, "The committee seeks in this parliamentary session to legislate the law because of its great importance in dealing with thousands of Iraqi people."[/size]
[size=45]It is noteworthy that thousands of residents of slums and encroachment neighborhoods are waiting for the House of Representatives to approve the draft law on slums to reduce the problem that is worsening with the rise in real estate prices and the housing crisis remaining in place after investors monopolized the majority of housing projects that are not available to those with medium and limited incomes.[/size]
[size=45]The capital, Baghdad, ranks first in the number of slums, as there is no area in it that is free of encroachment neighborhoods, which is something the government is working on legal formulations for, which may include “ownership” of slums within areas designated for housing, according to specific controls.[/size]
[size=45]Cash instead[/size]
[size=45]Earlier this year, the Martyrs Foundation launched an electronic application form for land allowance and real estate grant requests, among three segments of its beneficiaries and through the Ur electronic portal, but it was devoid of the rest of the segments of society.[/size]
[size=45]The head of the foundation, Abdul-Ilah Al-Naili, said that his foundation, within the framework of its continuous efforts to facilitate the procedures for the beneficiaries of its law to obtain their rights, launched the electronic application for the land allowance and the real estate grant through the Ur electronic portal, adding that the cash allowance will include victims of the crimes of the fallen regime, terrorism, and the martyrs of the Popular Mobilization Forces.[/size]
[size=45]He explained that the material value of the allowance for the victims of the fallen regime and the martyrs of the Popular Mobilization Forces amounts to 83 million dinars for the beneficiaries who did not receive a plot of land, whether within Baghdad or all the governorates, while the value of the allowance for the victims of terrorism and the residents of Baghdad exclusively will be 50 million dinars, attributing this to the difficulty of obtaining a plot of land in the capital, unlike the governorates.[/size]
[size=45]While the families of the martyrs are suffering from the delay in receiving the cash allowance, which has reached more than a full year, while the institution has divided the amount into several parts, the families of the martyrs expressed their dissatisfaction with not benefiting from the amount because it does not serve the purpose and is not enough to buy “half a plot” of land in the capital, while others confirmed that if we apply for a plot of land, the institution will refer us to the municipalities, and thus the latter will give us lands in areas far from the capital, Baghdad, and are not served.[/size]
[size=45]High interest loans[/size]
[size=45]For about 5 years, the authorities have been trying hard to address the housing crisis by launching plans that are compatible with the population of more than 43 million people, in addition to relying on measures to facilitate citizens’ access to loans with acceptable interest rates.[/size]
[size=45]Last June, the Director General of the Housing Fund, Diaa Al-Mujadd, revealed that they are seeking to grant 17,000 loans worth 900 billion dinars during the year 2024.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Mujadd said, “The Iraqi Housing Fund was established under Law No. 32 of 2011, and its goal is to provide housing for Iraqis.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Mujadd added that “the work of the Housing Fund is currently limited to citizens for the purpose of building houses for them or adding a building,” stressing that “the Housing Fund loans are interest-free.”[/size]
[size=45]He explained that “the maximum limit for housing fund loans is currently 60 million for 15 years,” noting that “the loan will be disbursed in installments.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Mojid continued, saying, “The disbursement depends on the construction stage. If the construction is in the concrete stage, 30% is given, and in the next stage, 40%, and at the roof and finishing stage, the remaining 30% is given.”[/size]
[size=45]According to Al-Mujaddid, if the building is at the roof stage, 70% is given and the remaining 30% is given upon completion, indicating that “housing loans are applied for through the Ur platform, the official platform of the Iraqi state.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Mojid concluded his speech by saying, “It is hoped that 17,000 loans worth 900 billion dinars will be granted during the year 2024,” indicating that “in 2023, the value of the loans granted reached 1 trillion dinars.”[/size]
[size=45]Economic expert Mohammed Al-Hasani stressed that “any financing or loan for the purpose of purchasing housing units must be at low costs, i.e. easy financing, with long terms and low interest,” indicating that “banks in this way do not finance developmentally, but rather commercially for the purpose of profit.”[/size]
[size=45]He added that “the credit granting mechanism in Iraq is the worst among the countries of the world in terms of financing, complex instructions and very high interest,” adding that “the guarantees and mechanisms are difficult and the interest collection mechanism is unfair as the interest rate remains in full on the principal amount until the end of repayment without deducting the amounts paid.”[/size]
[size=45]A number of government banks, especially Rafidain and Rashid Banks, compete to grant various and numerous loans according to mechanisms and instructions that may sometimes be strict, while some citizens suffer from the difficulty of obtaining these loans compared to countries of the world where these loans are often directed towards optimal investment for them.[/size]
[size=45]Many Iraqis, especially those from the middle and poor classes, face obstacles and impediments in obtaining residential property due to the high prices. Despite the construction of cities and residential complexes in all governorates, prices are still not commensurate with the ability of the vast majority of the population.[/size]
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