The Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) is eyeing to bring down housing rates to go down to only 35% or less of a low salary earner’s income, Arabian Business reported.
“People who earn Dh2,000 to Dh6,000 a month and work in private businesses might be getting housing allowance, but now we want to cater some type of housing that suits their income,” Abu Dhabi UPC Planning and Policy Department Senior Planning Manager Hamad Al Mutawa told Arabian Business.
“We are trying to ensure that the rentals for these units do not exceed 35 percent of the monthly income of the workers,” he added.
The plan is also seen to do away with middlemen who sign a lease with building owners and sub-lease the subject units, which increase housing costs for renting workers.
The initiative will pilot in highly populous areas such as the North Island, the report said.
“If building owners register their buildings as a low-income housing scheme, they may be waived from parking requirements and given incentives to cater that section,” Al Mutawa explained.
“There are some owners of old buildings who are currently violating certain occupancy regulations, but by enrolling in the initiative they can formalise their situation or fix their units to meet specific government requirements and avoid high penalties,” he added.
