TEHRAN- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani launched and inaugurated the projects for the construction of nearly 11,000 residential units throughout the country via video conference on Thursday, IRNA reported.

As reported, the executive operation for the construction of 8,896 units under the National Housing Action Plan was started in some provinces, while 1,959 units under the Mehr Housing Plan were inaugurated in the southern Fars province, in an online ceremony attended also by Transport and Urban Development Minister Mohammad Eslami.

Back in August 2019,  Rouhani had officially launched the government’s National Housing Action Plan, by inaugurating a project for constructing 110,000 affordable housing units across the country.

The National Housing Action Plan aims to construct 400,000 small and medium-size apartments (70-100 square meters in size) across the country and particularly in Tehran, where housing prices have risen most sharply.

Nearly half of the total number of the said homes will be constructed in Tehran’s suburban “new towns” such as Parand and Pardis, respectively located in the west and east of the city.

According to the transport and urban development minister, the government plans to complete the new units by April 2021.

While the ministry will provide the land for the new developments, it will only supervise construction, enlisting private sector construction firms who will bid for contracts that entitle them to receive state loans and subsidized building materials. 

As reported, the government’s investment in construction will help create new jobs across the country and is expected to boost wages among laborers.

Providing housing to low-income families could also help alleviate economic hardship, especially if the government’s assistance can help inflation-hit renters become homeowners.

MA/MA