Housing Minister Dr. Abdulla Muthalib declared on Wednesday that the government is starting a program to locate Malé residents residing in extremely overcrowded and cramped conditions and offer them suitable housing options.

During a press conference, he mentioned that during President Mohamed Muizzu's visits to homes in Malé, it became evident that numerous long-term residents cannot redevelop their houses for several reasons or are forced to split their already small spaces to host larger families.

The Minister observed that these families have historically faced challenges with land scarcity in the capital and frequently do not meet the criteria for support within current government housing programs. He depicted observing very narrow passageways where people have to turn sideways to get by, along with houses that lack adequate ventilation and fundamental living conditions.

"We have encountered alleys so tight that an individual must move sideways to get in." "There are residences with no ventilation at all—areas that are unsuitable for people to live in and beneath minimum living conditions," the Minister stated.

He emphasized that the government aims to proactively identify these households and implement specific measures to enhance their living standards. "The goal isn't just to create a framework of rules for individuals to follow, but to pinpoint and record families residing in precarious situations and help them navigate those challenges," he clarified.

The Minister emphasized that confined living conditions lead to various social issues, which can only be effectively tackled by providing direct support to the most disadvantaged families. He mentioned that the government is focused on launching the essential policy changes to put the initiative into action.