Habitat Week   New scheme launched to fill housing ‘gap’ |04 October 2022

A new housing scheme targeting a pre-selected group of beneficiaries was launched yesterday to mark the start of activities commemorating Habitat Week.

The Mid-Range Condos scheme for graduates, professionals and middle income earners was officially unveiled by the Minister for Land and Housing, Billy Rangasamy, in a ceremony on the ground floor of Independence House.

The theme for the scheme is ‘Mind the Gap. Leave No One and No Place Behind’.

After the launch, invitees were able to view an exhibition in the department of Housing, Infrastructure, Lands and Survey, situated on the ground floor as well.

Present at the event were Vice-President Ahmed Afif, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Roger Mancienne, ministers, principal secretaries, members of the National Assembly, chief executives, other guests and staff of the ministries, including some primary school students.

Speaking on the occasion,  Minister Rangasamy said that there should be a collective effort on all sides to address housing in the country taking into account the social issues that are impacting on demand for housing which continues to increase.

He stated that for the time being, the ministry has been revising its strategies and policies to meet the demand to provide affordable houses and land to applicants.

Minister Rangasamy noted that apart from the new affordable housing and the Mid-Range Condos projects, the ministry will also be introducing its ‘vulnerable housing repair scheme and special housing’ for the specific group.

He urged all applicants to make it their responsibility to stay in employment, contribute to the Home Saving Scheme and to plan their families to avoid from missing on a house or land with the ministry.    

The Mid-range Condos scheme will provide the delivery of housing units from a government planned and built housing estate to a group of pre-selected beneficiaries who are able to raise financing from a commercial bank or from personal contribution, for funding the construction costs of the project.

The Mid-Range Condos, which will be unfurnished two and three bedrooms, will cost between  R750,000 and R850,000. 

Among the 3500 housing applicants on the list, some 1000 among them qualify for the Mid-Range Condos housing scheme, which would allow the ministry to generate funding to assist the remaining 2500 applicants.

Among the sets criteria to apply for the Mid-Range Condos scheme, applicants must be a citizen of the Seychelles and has domicile in the country for a continuous period of 3 years (minimum), has not been or is not in ownership of immoveable properties or interest in immoveable properties or does not have shares in a company owning immoveable properties, has not been assisted through housing, housing loan or a residential plot of land by government, in stable employment, has a single or combined net income of not less that R12,000 and not more than R20,000, has to declare partner if any (expatriate spouses shall not be included on the application) and has to automatically contribute towards the Home Savings Scheme (HSS) once their application has been lodged.

The allocation of the condos will be as per project on a first come first serve basis and applications of the applicants must be three years or more, must have the ability and show proof that he/she can raise the sum equivalent of the unit costs plus the price of the land, both of which may vary from time to time, must show proof of savings to cover a percentage of the unit cost and show consistency of HSS contribution over a period of 3 years, including the date of the application. 

Minister Rangasamy later said that the ministry is planning to construct 100 Mid-Range Condos through public private partnership on Ile Perseverance while other sites at Au Cap, Anse Royale and Barbarons on Mahé and one site on Praslin have also been identified for the project.

He called on would-be applicants to come to the exhibition, which will run for the whole week, to seek information and to take the opportunity to make their applications taking into account that the allocation will be on a first come first serve basis.

Minister Rangasamy said that the World Habitat theme fits well with the ministry’s endeavour to assist those in need of housing and land, to make housing estates more conducive through redevelopment projects and to lift the staff standards through capacity building training to offer a better and a high standard of service to clients. 

The accompanying photos show highlights of the ceremony yesterday.

Patrick Joubert